Duality
by Catoust
Summary: "The only difference between a Hero and an Idiot is what people say after the fact. Heroic tales are only heard more often because they make better stories."
1. Rebirth

_A bit of context. This story resulted from thinking on the comment 'What would the story of SAO from Klein's perspective look like?'. At some point I deviated from that line of thought and added in an OC character that would be sticking around Klein. This story is meant to be a B-team/side story kind of deal, occasionally mixing along and modifying established events._

 _Additionally, each chapter is mainly done as a stream of consciousness kind of deal. I make a small list of things I want to hit, but what actually occurs completely depends on what comes out. Edits will be done to make things flow better, but for the most part this is entirely a personal project. It might be easier to think of this as a (semi) weekly blog more than an actual storyline with a clearly defined start, middle, and end. Hopefully you find some enjoyment from this flood of words._

 _New notes: With my current update schedule (Third Friday from posting) I've been taking one week for both myself and to do edits of previous chapters. The initial dozen or so were written and edited around the course of a week or two each; while doable, I wasn't entirely happy with the quality of them, especially as I go back and read through them._

* * *

" **There was a quote I came across a while back, before any of this even started. It went along the lines of 'Your past doesn't define who you are. It's just your starting point.' Sorry, I probably translated that improperly, but what I'm trying to say is: just because we've made mistakes doesn't mean we can't grow past them."**

 _"You'll take care of my brother, right?"_

 _"Of course I will. He's been following this thing for months so he'll know where to bring us, but if something does goes wrong I'll be right by his side so you needn't worry about a thing."_

Consciousness asserted itself mid push up, the ground undulating like the pendulum of a grandfather clock.

 _"And I'll be sure not to let us stay logged in too long. He has work in the morning, after all."_

Without effort my hands pulled my hair into a tight bun, light blue eyes tinted by the polished metal mirror in front of me focusing on the strands of hair rebelling against the rest of its brethren and drooping just above my left eye.

 _"He's the most important person in my life! You better take care of him!"_

 _In, two, three, four..._

 _"You know, right now? He's my most important person too."_

 _Out, two, three, four._

The words flowed gently out my mouth, my face slowly becoming pained with every syllable of my native tongue. "Please, forgive me." I bowed my head, skin touching the untarnished bronze resting against the wall. A beat. In that one second, my resolve was strengthened by a shuddering breath. With an overbearing weight pressing down on me, I stepped out of the inn I had retreated into, the only eyes trave capable of initiating conversation being my own.

The same artificial sun of just over half a month peered over the walls of the city, bathing my fellow early birds in its warmth. Vaguely familiar roads greeted me with every footfall, a week's worth of blurred memories generating a mental map of the area. When the facsimile of light and warmth fully climbed over the skyline I had long since moved into the surrounding fields, no others in sight.

Despite having two weeks to adapt to our situation, few others shared my mindset in any amount of training, still clinging to the idealistic hope that outside help would come. With such little competition, I had free reign on the waist high «Wild Boars» grazing in the fields surrounding the «Town of Beginnings». Over the course of an hour I worked my way back to handling three boars at a time, relearning how to manipulate the imperfect replica of my body. Stabs, slashes, twirls, dodges; every single action was repeated over and over, an unceasing march towards a perfection that could never be reached.

It was as I flipped over a charging boar for the umpteenth time that a glowing sword held by a man garbed in red and brown caught my attention. With the blade held at his side the only warning, the thuggish looking man blinked past his target, the path he had taken leaving a rapidly fading afterimage in his wake.

"Groooin!"

A sudden knockback brought me to a knee as I recovered, my blade instantly moving into a downward defensive position. The boar dared to strike me once again, a quick step to the side resulting in the beast receiving a gash along its side for its effort. Without further ado I made quick work of the monster, its digitalizing remains drifting up into the sky.

"Hey!" The man from before trod over to me, a hand raised in greeting. Behind him the six others spread out and began fighting the boars around us, one of whom wore a contrasting light blue in comparison to the mostly earthen tones of the others. "You know it's really cool how you fought that thing, but how come you didn't use any Sword Skills?"

I dismissed the post fight window, taking in his rugged appearance that passingly (and comfortingly) reminded me of one of my uncles. "If you don't call what I did skill, then I don't know what you would call it." I took a swig from the water skin attached to my belt, vaguely recognizing that what he referred to as sword skills and what I called sword skills were two seperate things.

"You really don't know, do you?" The man gave me a befuddled look. "How have you even survived this long?"

I raised a brow as I stretched my limbs out, a niggling memory reminding me that the growing heaviness in my limbs was nothing more than a by-product of this world. "Skill," I responded simply. _Legs could use a bit of attention. I swear I can feel my calves screaming at me and not in the fun way._

"Look, do you mind toning down the hostility? I'm trying to help you out here, but if you're going to keep giving me attitude I have no problems walking away."

I glanced up from my split. Irritation, attraction, and a fair amount of concern; the corner of my mouth twitched at the amount of warring emotions. With a short huff purely for show, I hopped to my feet and clasped my hands in front of my lap, giving a short bow. "Apologies. It's been a trying few days, but I shall endeavor to moderate myself better." Upon rising, I inwardly smirked at how he visually receptive he became, the appraising eye he held likely for more than my so called 'sword skills'.

A confident grin adorning his stubbled face, the man jabbed a thumb at his chest. "The name's Klein. I'm in charge of these sorry guys." A few cries shouted back at him, all tinged with joking camaraderie. A laughing retort later, his face turned serious, the expression fitting him surprisingly well. "Alright, I'm sure you can handle yourself the way you've been playing, but you're taking way too long to beat those monsters. Seriously, just about anybody else could take care of those in a minute at most, but you?" Klein shook his head. "Anyway, there's three basic kinds of sword skills everybody should have."

I stared at him, realizing what he was doing. "Are- are you seriously doing this?"

"No, _we're_ doing this. I'm not kidding, your fighting style's impressive but you're never going to survive out there without system assisted attacks. But as I was saying, the names might be different but they all go along the X, Y, and Z axis." Klein drew along each of the mentioned directions with a finger, his left hand resting on his hip. "For a one handed sword user like you, they'd be called «Horizontal», «Vertical», and «Slant». They're a lot stronger than standard unassisted attacks but regardless of whether or not you land them you'll get stuck in something that's called «Post Motion». When that happens, you won't be able to move out of the ending position of your attack for a brief moment, sort of like landing lag in platformers."

Klein pantomimed drawing his sword from its scabbard, holding the imaginary weapon to the right of his body. Were there an actual blade in his hand, it would have undoubtedly been parallel to the ground and at an angle to his body. "To activate «Horizontal», you need to hold your sword out to the side like this and then start shifting weight from your right foot to the left. The system takes care of the rest." He performed it in slow motion, using exaggerated movements. My words of gratitude died before they could even breath, a sense of disdain filling me when I thought about the supposed Post Motion. "You could also do it from the other hand, but most people aren't versatile enough to pull it off."

"For «Vertical», you'll need to move your feet like taking a step. Bring your sword up, stopping a handful of centimeters before you'd shoulder it. Once you feel the process register, release it." Between the seemingly rehearsed speech and the ease he went through the motions, I realized he was incredibly practiced in this sort of thing. Whether he was one of the few that recognized the importance of training or if he had just done this enough times I couldn't tell. Glancing to make sure I was still following, the man moved into the next set of instructions.

"«Slant» can start from two directions. To attack from the top right to the bottom left you need to fully put your sword on your shoulder, and for the bottom left to top right you need to move your sword to your waist like you were drawing it from the hip. The angle you ready it at doesn't matter too much, but a few people are saying it's better to have the blade parallel to your spine."

Explanation done, Klein took a step back, a grin adorning his face. "Why don't you take a stab at it? The others are keeping the monsters away. Oh, each sword skill adds about an extra half meter at minimum to your strikes, so you don't always need to be completely up close and personal when you're attacking."

I perked up at that last bit, boredom and irritation alleviated by the possibilities. "Hey, do you normally use puns?" I questioned. The irritating lock of hair was swiped back into position by my left hand, the rest of my body moving into the stance for «Horizontal».

"That one was an accident." Klein laughed, his embarrassment filling the void of my forced paralysis. The moment I broke free from the post motion I leapt back a few feet, a scowl taking place of my idle concern. "Hey, that was actually pretty-" Uncaring of what his next words were, I moved into the stance for a left-right «Slant», my body twisting to move the skyward sword by my shoulder for a «Vertical» once control was returned.

I went through the set once more, letting out a thoughtful hum at the end. "And we're sure these are supposed to make combat go by faster?" I stared at the flat of my sword, idly tilting it to catch the sunlight.

"Yeah. Not everybody who came in here has real life experience. Really, those people are the exceptions and not the norm." Klein walked over to me and gave me another look over, his face betraying the forming questions. "Is this your first time doing a full dive?"

"First time gaming in a while, actually." I moved through the set without allowing the mental 'click' to register, adding in a few unarmed strikes before ending with a lunging thrust. "Still don't think it'd be worthwhile for me to use sword skills all that often." I tossed my blade to my left hand, stretching out my right a few bit. "Hey, get one of your friends to bring a boar over. I wanna try these out properly."

"Er, sure." Off kilter from my casual display, the red head turned around and hollered to one of his companions. One of the two shield and sword users broke off from his group and convinced a boar over, his weapons still in a ready position even as he ran a full retreat.

"We doing this alone or together?" I shouted, grabbing the attention of the digital swine. The beast squealed at my spinning slash and flick, turning around immediately and scraping a hoof along the ground.

"What?" The helmeted male stared at me blankly, realization dawning over him after a few gestures in between dodges. After another glancing blow to the charging boar, 'Harry' rushed in with a glowing shield, the edge slamming down on the head of the quadruped like a cleaver to a rack of meat.

"Press the attack! Make sure you use a sword skill this time!"

I suppressed a grunt at the redundant advice, the register time for «Vertical» taking nearly double my previous attempt. The glee that arose from the significant dip in the boar's health was shoved aside by the irritation of the Post Motion, the tenth of a second it lasted feeling like an eternity.

"Alright, nice work!"

I held back a biting request for silence, taking advantage of Harry's repeated shield bash to mount the Frenzy Boar. A quick two handed thrust through the skull carved away a significant amount of health, but it required a twist of my blade to remove the last vestiges. I rose from my kneeling position and chopped my blade to the side, assuaging my still roaring blood with a few breaths.

"I guess if for whatever reason you shouldn't use Sword Skills you'll be fine, but you've gotta admit having them make fights go by pretty fast, right?" Klein waved Harry off, the red head spinning in place and taking count of something.

"I said I fight with skill, didn't I?" I returned his smile and joking lilt, the expression far too forced for my tastes.

Klein chuckled and shook his head, right hand tapping at window of some kind. "Why don't you join up with us? I have no doubt in you being able to handle yourself, but I'd feel wrong if I stopped by the Memorial Stone one day and found your name crossed out." He blinked and stared at me, mouth parted in an unspoken question. "Er, what is your-"

"Lakewood. Dawn Lakewood. Though if you tried to find me I suppose you'd have better luck looking for 'Asasaki'."

He silently tested out my full name a few times, finally calling me by my chosen handle. "I'm serious though. You should travel with us for a little bit. Safety in numbers aside, gamers are different from normal folk. Especially the ones in here. We're the shut in's. We aren't exactly the best at socializing and online etiquette is a lot different from reality. I'd hate to see somebody like you get taken advantage of."

I scrutinized his face for any hint of malicious intentions, partially narrowed eyes allowed to betray my amusement. "You know, I thought chivalry was dead. But here it is, living and breathing."

Shock sprouting across his face, "Hey, don't equate me to a knight! I'm a samurai, that means I follow the code of bushido!"

"Funniest looking samurai if I've ever seen one," I responded dryly, gesturing at his simple clothing and breastplate.

"That's-" Klein coughed, schooling his features. "It's a work in progress, alright? I have it on good word that in a couple floors we'll have access to more Eastern style equipment. For now we just have to make do with the Western and Middle-East gear." The self proclaimed samurai started walking, the six others slowly moving their fights to keep their roughly circular distance from us.

"Where are you guys going, anyway?" Though I was entirely willing to go along with what they wanted, habits demanded that I have at least an iota of what what going on.

"Deep into the woods," Klein pointed towards the tree tops in the distance. "There's some monsters in there that are higher leveled than the boars out here on the plains. The goal is to reach a village hidden within. It's in a different spot from Horunka and apparently nobody can remember it from the beta test." I noticed a slight hesitation in the near redheads next step. "You sure you want to head that far in with us? What level are you, anyway?"

"Don't know," I responded. Even after 'living' in it for some two weeks, there was very little that I knew about it. Weapons, food, water, everything I needed to survive was either on my person or tucked away in the «Basic Pouches» I had tied to my belt.

"How can you not-" Klein took a deep breath and stopped. "Alright, add me to your friend's list."

I stopped beside him, unable to keep the amusement off my face. "Skill," I chimed, far more smug than I had any right to.

"How did you survive this long!?" he exclaimed, hand moving to manipulate something. I pressed the circle on the window that popped up. While I was entirely capable of interacting with the system interface of this world, actually accessing it was another story entirely. "Alright, you know what? It's okay. I can work with this. I mean it's not like you're entirely worthless like that one guy I met last week." I began lazily drawing patterns with my sword, waiting for him to finish his mental breakdown. "-when we break, I'm teaching you about the basics, ground up. I don't doubt you can take care of yourself, Ms. Level 6, but there's a lot you're missing out on."

"Understood, Teacher," I drawled out, giving a short smile to the other bandana wearing man in the group. While the prospect of learning how to thrive was enticing, I couldn't help but glance at my weapon, silently lamenting my inability to utilize a dagger. Of course I'd had the chance to purchase one from an NPC, but the thought of losing the decorated ivory scabbard I'd kept stopped me from doing so.

With a loud, resounding clap, Klein raised his voice for everyone to hear. "Okay, guys! Same formations as before. Dynamm, join up with Issin and Kunimittz. Yell if you need back up!" Another window opened up, this one inviting me to a Party. Looking at him for confirmation, Klein gave me a reassuring nod. With a huff I accepted, delegating the scruffy swordsman to the position of Superior Officer for the time being.

For around an hour or so we marched on, our three parties rotating out whenever we came across a new group of monsters. A brief spurt of terror washed through me when I saw the newest enemy; a trio of level 5 Frenzy Boars. With Klein and Harry leading the charge my fears were quashed, but I couldn't help but recall the last time I had gone up against these monsters. A trio of the boars had been chasing after a group of individuals, forcing my partner and I to split up against them when the monsters turned their attention to us.

"I know they're higher leveled compared to everything else, but that's no reason to be freaking out so hard." Klein crossed his arms and stared down at me. "You've got Harry and myself right beside you, and if something bad really happens there's the others to bail you out."

"You're right. I'm just used to basically going solo whenever I went past the walls." _Keep it together, girl._ "I'll just need a little bit to adjust, don't worry."

"It might help if you talk to the others," Harry added. "I know we're an eccentric bunch, but we don't bite. Not really, anyway."

I took in a breath and shook my head. "Yeah. Talking might actually help out. Thanks, Harry." Taking his words to heart, I trailed back whenever my party wasn't in charge of fighting. Over time, I found out that the newest one's name was Choryu, his name derived from the kanji that meant something along the lines of 'trendy'. The dagger user worked as tech support for a handful of companies. When Klein got in on the conversation, I wasn't entirely able to follow them but apparently the man used to be a huge gamer back in high school, ending up as the Club President for his last two years. A while back he had decided to splurge on a Nerve Gear, getting his copy of SAO at the same time as Klein which was how they knew each other.

Harry One, a teen with a surprisingly sturdy appearance when combined with the simple leather head guard he'd acquired, was still in high school. On weekdays he'd cram hard and come weekends would often stay up well into the morning to hang out with his graduated friends. Dynamm, a somewhat angular man somewhere in his twenties, was learning to hand carve furniture from his uncle. When he wasn't out in the woods training he shared an apartment in the city with Kunimittz, a fairly light skinned man with a set of hair I was somewhat jealous of and who was working as a shift manager for a supermarket. When each person spoke of their past, without fail it was followed by surreptitious glances. The casual surprise at whatever they found from me I attributed to not making fun of them, at least if the few times I had talked to people in similar jobs was anything to go by. Any questions regarding my own history were deflected with years of practice, easily thrown right back at them with a coy smile. Soon enough we had entered the woods, the background music changing to a more wooden tone with the pattern kept the same.

"Klein, I see the new monsters!" Issin moved behind a tree in what seemed to be a drilled action, the rest of the group (including newcomer Choryu) doing the same. Plant like creatures around six or seven feet tall, the «Slumbering Lilies» consisted of multiple legs made from thick roots centered around a giant stalk, supporting a bulbous head of white and pink petals arranged like the tip of a trumpet. On looks alone it probably had a lot of airborne effects, perhaps a few root based attacks to pin a target down as well as attack. It was probably a slow creature as well, hard to kill with a big health pool.

 _Kind of wish I had an axe or a chainsaw instead of a sword. If this was reality I'd be able to get through through no problem._

"I'll test its defences out." Dale, a somewhat heavy set man, moved in, Harry One and Choryu backing him up. Managing to get right up to the monster without inciting a response, he let loose a «Vertical» along the creature's stalk. Its HP dipped a little under 10%, finally responding. I called out a warning regarding their feet, but it went unheard and the trio had their legs ensnared. I glanced at Klein, moderately annoyed by his inaction.

"Draw its attention! Somebody else, cut the roots!" I moved up to support the trio as I issues the orders. Perhaps they already had a plan and I was messing it up, but if they were going to take their sweet time responding then they deserved death.

Whether in response to my words or something else, the samurai hopeful began directing his allies to get the second Lilly away from us. As the three man team began escaping from their bindings, I ran past their aggressor, drawing my sword and slashing across the roots like one would a receive a low tennis ball. With a quick counterclockwise pivot on my right foot, I twirled my weapon around my head and brought it across the plant's girth, the angry red line disappearing after a moment.

In the corner of my eye, the four man of Klein, Dynamm, Issin, and Kunimittz were alternating between their sword skills to keep up their assault. As for the group with me, Dale and Harry did their best to swap between who took the close range tuber whip attacks while Choryu skirted their sides, landing pot shots where he could.

On my side of the gargantuan plant I kept up a stream of normal attacks, specifically targeting the giant roots. Once upon a time I had played a game where a creature could restore health using its roots, something I had no intention of testing whether or not that would occur. After a time the ground immediately around it rumbled, thick roots sprouting around it in a rather large circle. To my satisfaction, the roots that I damaged resulted in nothing sprouting in their general direction whereas Choryu and Harry became entrapped once again, having been stuck in «Post Motion».

With a full body tremble that continued even as it settled down, the lily unfolded its petals and exposed the reproductive organs within, a thick mist of pollen raining over Dale and I that prevented us from moving, a flickering yellow circle appearing over our health bars. The same was occuring to our sibling group on the other end of the clearing, though with the status effect no longer in effect standing around watching was a luxury I could no longer entertain.

Able to break free of the roots, Harry and Choryu resumed their attacks without any retaliation from the now still plant, Dale moving around the same time as myself, presumably to rejoin the two hacking at the stem.

 _You look pretty sturdy. Let's see what's behind door number one._ With a few tugs and a somewhat awkwardly angled stab, I pulled myself onto the petal and rushed over to the reproductive organs, making weak one handed slashes at each stamen until they disappeared while I used my other hand to keep my balance around the steep center of the bulb. The plant shook violently once again, but without anything to spread pollen the forced paralysis had no way of occuring.

I dropped into the core of the plant, hooking my right arm around the untouched pistil and driving my sword into its spherical base repeatedly, deigning to use two hands on a strike after I felt confident of my balance. The unwelcome feeling of a «Sword Skill» washed over me as I raised my weapon and suddenly I took a knee, my blade sheathed up to the hilt in the plant.

A beat passed and the «Slumbering Lily» disappeared in a shower of shimmering data. Even with no particles able to collect on my clothing, I dusted myself off and took a look around the clearing to ensure our safety before dealing with the windows I had tossed to the side of my vision. Several «Lily Pollen», a «Lily Petal Fragment», and two «Lily roots» alongside 40 Cor were automatically deposited into my inventory, with the notification of having discovered the skill «Stone Sheathe» dismissed.

Another burst of data sounded off. Klein did a quick roll call and asked for status updates regarding health. As much trouble as the Lilies gave with their effects, the damage they actually did wasn't that high. My guess was that we'd find these things later on backed by harder hitting monsters that could take advantage of our stunned state.

"Okay, guys. Let's take five for now. If we can recover with time we shouldn't need health pots." Scruffles walked over to me, the serious look on his face at utter contrast with his usual behavior. Without any build up, he began speaking. "Lesson one. Accessing your menu."

I let out a quiet puff of air, dreading the next few minutes. It was a little odd how easily he went from combat to conversational, but I suppose it came from the experience of being a group leader. "You can access your menu by either making a circle with your thumb and pointer together and pulling down or using your pointer and middle and making the same motion." Klein moved to my side, his hand moving to press a few things and letting me see his menu. "Access it and then look in the upper left. There should be an icon there that looks like two boxes. That lets others see your menu."

I took the motions he described, comparing my screen to his. The information was extremely bare bones; the left window showed a simple diagram of a body and had several labels attached to various parts detailing my current equipment. The right window was a long box of tabs that took me a moment to translate into English. "Let's check your Skills." He tapped the icon of a single person, pressing the following tab of three that had the front view of a simplistic bust.

The drop down menu that popped up afterwards had the skills «One handed Curved Blade» skill and «Battle Healing» listed, with an icon for a bullet list in the bottom right. "Unsurprisingly, you have only «One Handed Sword» equipped. Press the button on the lower right. That'll show you the list of available skills you can choose from."

I did as commanded, immediately looking through the list of skills. While there was very much a translation of real life capabilities to the game, it was safe to assume that like Sword Skills, utilizing the system mechanics would make it much easier and possibly better than your own abilities. With that in mind I tapped on the skill listed as «Acrobatics», reading through the description.

 _#_ Acrobatics. Affects the ability to climb or run along walls as well as increasing the automatic ability to dodge attacks. Trained by rapidly traversing walls and dodging attacks.# I looked over at Klein, expecting commentary.

"If you want to get that skill, go ahead. This is still a game after all, so I'm not going to tell you how to play it a certain way." He grinned at me in what was probably a charming way, though for me the flirtatious attempt fell flat. Once he got his act together in terms of handling his life (he and his friends spent several days in line for this after all) he'd eventually make for a good father, or at the very least uncle.

"What's Battle Healing?" I asked, referencing his skill menu.

"It's a skill that restores your HP every few seconds based on its level. Pretty dangerous to train it though. You have to keep taking hits while in the Red to level it up." He opened up the skill, the resulting screen playing a simple stick figure video demonstration of the passive ability in action. Keeping in mind how cautious I planned on being, I mentally slotted that skill into my back pocket before looking farther down the list. "You still heal HP over time normally," he suddenly added, "so the skill just gives you a bigger heal, even in combat."

"Leather armor?" I voiced, tabbing open the skill.

#Increases the amount of defense gained while wearing Leather armor. Decreases the rate at which durability for Leather Armor is lost. Reduces weight of Leather Armor. Trained by fighting while wearing Leather Armor.#

It sounded like a good fit. This early on the numbers were fairly low, but it would add up over time. Remembering to grab Battle Healing later on, I used the third slot (something Klein didn't seem to have) for «Leather Armor». In the back of my mind I noted that I seemed a little lighter, barely more than a handful of pounds, but I imagined that it would become more prevalent later on. "How often do we gain slots?" I closed the skill description window, leaving me with the Main Menu on the left and the Skill List menu on the right.

"According to the guide being published by some of the Beta Testers, we start out with two Skill Slots, gain one at level 6, level 12, and then another one at level 20. Nobody's sure how often after that." Klein looked out at the group. Most of them were sitting down; Harry One and Kunimittz were standing on the edges of the clearing, slowly walking around and keeping a lookout.

"So you're under level 6 then." I started looking through my menu, closing my way back and stopping once I was at the tabs for Skills. It took me a moment to read it properly, but once I did I tapped the window labeled «Stats». It seemed that I was at a flat 1 across Strength, Vitality, and Dexterity. At the bottom of the window there was a bar reading _#_ Available Stat Points: 15. _#_

"Yeah. I'm the highest out of my group right now, but I should be hitting level 6 soon. I had an extra few hours on Day One to train up while everybody else was exploring the Town." He looked back over at my screen, the smile slipping away to show a mix of confoundment and seriousness. "Asasaki, I really need to ask. How did you survive this long?"

"Skill. How do these work?" I motioned at the three stats. While there was a button to go into more detail for them, I prefered hearing a voice rather than reading it on my own.

"Strength is fairly obvious," he responded after a few moments. "That decides how much damage you can deal, the amount of weight you can carry, and there's some rumors going around that it plays a small part in the amount of damage you receive." I stared at the screen, wondering whether I should play this game as if it were real life or if I should play pretend.

"Vitality decides on how much HP you gain per level, but there's also a flat amount of health you gain. It plays a factor in the amount of damage you take as well as influencing how much stuff you can do before feeling fatigue, but that one's just speculation since people with the same stats can feel fatigue at different times." Klein's health bar was around 95% now. If I focused on his bar in the upper left of my vision, at the top of the two man party we had formed, I could see the actual numbers was around 50 less than my max health.

"Dexterity is how quick you can move, how accurate your attacks can be, and the odds of your attacks dealing extra damage, what we call a 'critical strike'. You gain three Stat Points per level, and most people are doing a 3-2-1 point distribution of some kind. Some people like me are planning on using a ratio of three levels for their points so I'll be following a 3-2-4 pattern since I plan on being a front line samurai. I need to be able to take take hits but also make sure mine count."

Mulling his words over, I decided that prioritizing Dexterity wouldn't be a bad idea. Having a relatively even mix of Strength and Vitality would work out as well. I'd probably lump more points into Strength but I might massively boost Vitality every so often if I ended up getting tired out faster than I wanted to.

I immediately dumped around half of my skill points into Dex, putting four into Strength and the remaining three into Vitality. There was a small difference in my body, the sensation registering as a bit more energized as well as slightly lighter.

"I really need to know: if you haven't been able to access your menu, what have you been doing for food and potions?" As Klein spoke, I continued tapping away at my Items menu, utilizing the «Sort» feature. The time I had spent coherent in this world wasn't much compared to my previously insensate state, but it was still enough to get me a handful of meat, fur, tusks, and claws from the boars. The fur I had was significantly less than the rest but that was only due to the minor upgrade I had given to my boots before the incident.

"I ate at restaurants or from stalls. For health, once I fell below 15% I would go back to the Town and listen to a musician." Music in this world, at least from certain people, had the benefits of granting various buffs. Most NPC's had HP Restoration increases, others would give a small movement speed increase, some attack, others debuff resistance. That information had been accidentally discovered during my wanders and later on I ended up trying to distract myself by locating as many musicians as possible. At my last count, there were twelve different instruments, six of which included some form of HP restoration. Compared to potions it was incredibly inefficient, but it was all we had at the time.

"I'm not going to try to respond to that."

I smiled a little, hearing the sullen frown in his voice. "Any particular reason we're going to this village of yours or are we pulling an Everest and climbing it because we can?" I fully closed my interface and started stretching my limbs again, wondering what I'd be able to pull off as my numbers continued to increase. There were a few ideas in mind, things that I could occasionally pull off in real life but with this being a game perhaps I could realize my childhood fantasy of being starring in an action movie.

"Mostly training on the higher levels. There's also a few quests in the village we've heard of that are supposed to hand out some stronger armor and accessories so I'd like to get everybody upgraded." Klein began calling for us to head off again. "Did you want to group up with me or are you fine with the three from before?"

I made a show of stretching my arms above my head, pretending that it was an important decision to me. "Whichever one you think would be best. Unless you tell me otherwise, I basically do my own thing." I moved to his left, taking a few seconds to match my pace with the one made by his annoying long legs.

"Alright then. Dynamm, take point with Asasaki and me." The other bandana wearing member of the group moved to Klein's right, the two leading us through the forest.

"So if nobody remembers this place from the beta, how do you know where we're going?" I asked, habitually looking around.

"Somebody completed a quest line in the city and got a basic map leading to the area. As for the rest of the area, some of the Beta Testers have been selling the current boundaries of the floor to help us newbies out."

Giving a simple hum in response, I sped forward a little to scout ahead. _He was far too tense when he said that._ _Must still be getting used to this whole thing._ For me, the threat of death had always been a possibility back in reality. When Kayaba had mentioned that dying in here meant dying in real life I had immediately responded with a groan and an eye roll (not counting the spike of adrenaline at being in an undesirable situation). My companion on the other hand had turned into a blubbering mess who required me to hover around constantly promising his safety.

 _ **Fat load of good that did. Movement, by the way.**_

I held a fist up, hoping they understood the gesture. The previous cacophony of stomping feet and crackling detritus ceased, giving way to barely audible grunts. Once I gained a general idea what was up ahead I made my way back to Klein, keeping my voice low. "Three humanoids. Relatively light in weight based on appearance. Up and to the left." If we had ranged weaponry we could set up a trap, but being stuck with melee our options were extremely limited.

"You feel like leading this one?"

I shifted away from Klein's voice, wondering exactly what he meant by leading. "I'll need somebody to draw their attention. They should wait for my signal before engaging." I moved my right hand to grasp my sword in anticipation. The blade wouldn't be used for my opening move, but the action helped to focus my thoughts.

"Harry, you heard the lady." The shield bearer moved up to our group, following my directions to stay on this side while I moved around to the other. The creatures turned out to be goblins, if their green hues meant anything. One was armed with a dagger, one with a mace, and the other an axe, each one wearing poorly cared for armor made from a mixture of simple hides and metals.

I stepped slightly out from behind a tree, motioning to Harry to move in. Despite my efforts, whether from a mistake or the system telling me no, the Mace user saw me and began shouting in alarm, its attempt to run me through halted by the shield user's battle cry.

Taking advantage of the distraction I rushed in, knocking the goblin away with a flying side kick. Upon landing, I drew my sword and reversed it, smashing the pommel into the dagger goblin's head attacking Harry. For the remaining axe user, only now turning its attention to me, I moved my sword to the left of my waist, letting loose a bottom-top «Slant».

"Engage!" I called out, giving myself to the rush of adrenaline. With Harry providing an opening for a «Vertical», The two of us mercilessly took down our target, providing the finishing blow to one of its comrades as the rest of our group moved in to support us.

"Okay! So you're not the team leader for now." I sheathed my blade as Klein walked over, putting his weapon back into its curved scabbard on his hip. "You can handle a small group, but directions for everybody? I think I'll take care of that for the time being."

"A test then," I stated, holding back a biting retort. _A rather spectacular failure, all things considered. We may have taken down the targets, but my objective was to lead, not to take point._

"Yeah. I know you can take care of yourself, but I wanted to see how you could handle others." Truthfully, I could handle my old group quite well thanks to the communications we had were forged and tempered through fire. Being inserted into a new group with which I had no contact or knowledge of might be doable, but to the extent I used to have? Impossible. It didn't help that for the past few months I'd grown used to almost hovering around only a single person, with very little direction needed to be given to the other members of my workplace back in America.

"Alright, guys. Let's keep moving. The village should be another hour or so away." I watched Klein lead on, the group talking a bit amongst themselves before falling into silence. It was admirable, really; the way they tried to act like a military unit. They were comfortable with each other in both conversation and familiarity, each taking up their own role though it may overlap slightly with another. As individuals, they might not accomplish much, but as a whole they could do so much more.

I kept to myself as we travelled, keeping true to my word of doing my own thing unless told otherwise. In the end we didn't encounter anything else aside from a small swarm of «Giant Wasps» Harry and Klein had immediately told us to flee from, eventually arriving at the village.

 _I'm going to hard argue this place being more of a hamlet than a village_. Constructed out of fairly well made wattle and daub, the buildings here were spaced fairly far apart and centered around a rather large stone well.

"Let's split up and talk to the locals." Klein pointed towards a rather large building. "We'll meet up in that Tavern by the end of the hour. Take note of any Quests you come across."

It struck me as interesting how after a time I could hear certain emphasis on given words and terms, though perhaps it was more due to how sensitive one had to be in order to fully hear the language. Certain syllables in the language were very close to one another, and a slip of the tongue could completely change the meaning of a sentence. "And as for us?" I stepped in front of Klein when the others broke off, keeping my back to him as I made another survey of the area.

"We'll be taking a look at the shops. Just window shopping for now, but we might buy some potions. Especially for you!" I turned and stared at him blankly, taking a minor amount of offense at the finger he used to nudge my head.

"Are you offering?" I placed my left hand on my hip, desperately wishing I had a small knife on my belt to rest it on.

"What, are you saying you don't have the cor for it?" I shifted my stance. He gave a sigh. _Will admit, sad expressions don't fit him all that well._ "Alright, fine. I'll help set you up this time. But you owe me!" The angry look he had could have been impressive were it not for the betraying smirk on his face.

"Yes, master. Oh, thank you, master. Truly, you are the greatest, master." I hip checked him as I circled around, patting his back with my hand to lead. Klein stared at me for a moment before throwing his hands up in dramaticized frustration. We did a quick lap of the hamlet, remarking to each other about the signs we saw. There was an apothecary, what looked to be a blacksmithing building in the distance, a tavern, and a simple store that sold basic supplies. These specifically were made from mud brick, a somewhat odd sight compared to the wood frame and mixed paste of the walls of the rest of the housings.

Klein took that time to explain to me the map function; how you could turn it on to automatically record your surroundings as well as change it so that it would stay open either in the palm of your hand or in the corner of your vision. He also explained where to go back in the main city if you wanted to see if you had map data that had yet to be publicized in order to get some Cor. As he showed the functions he brought us into the Apothecary. A place filled with veritable sandstorm of odours, I crinkled my nose and did my best to desensitize myself.

"Hey, there!" Klein marched up to the front counter, a pleasant smile on his face.

Leaving him to it, I walked over to the simple wooden displays, tuning the conversation out while I read through the vials. The majority of them were health restoration items; minimal things that healed ten health a second for ten seconds and going up to 15 health for twenty seconds (that one cost 200 Cor). On the right hand side there was a set of potions that were preventatives for various status effects that took ten minutes before they activated but lasted thirty.

There were rumors floating around about crystals with instant activation effects but those were exponentially more expensive. When I asked Klein about it offhandedly, he remarked that curative crystals could go for one thousand Cor, while instant health crystals cost at least that, with the price increasing the more health they restored.

A trade window from Klein brought me out of my thoughts. After hesitatingly accepting it, five health potions appeared on the other window alongside two potions for stun, poison, and blindness. "These are on me. You can pay me back later."

I tapped accept and looked at Klein, wondering what was it that let him so willingly help another out. Part of me wanted to pin it on his culture, but considering that in order to escape this world we had to fight to escape, the majority of me felt that he had to have an ulterior motive.

"Once we get back to the tavern and meet up with everybody I'll give you a proper introduction. Like I said earlier, if you feel like staying with us we'll be doing some of the quests they have here. Most of them should be kill quests but there's probably going to be a 'collect an item'. Maybe at the end there might be an escort or delivery quest to bring us somewhere, this place is out of the way enough that it'd make sense for the last quest to bring us somewhere else." The Curved Blade user brought us outside into the blessedly fresh air. Unlike our arrival, a few NPC's were walking around, most of them carrying tools that suggested recently completed work in either the forest or the plains.

 _Night falls in about an hour or so, doesn't it?_ While in the normal world some people that worked physical labor would stay out a bit later, it was unconfirmed whether or not monsters spawned much more frequently and with a higher level at night. Considering that it seemed like all of the locals had retired for the night it was safe to assume that bit of gossip was true.

"Took you guys long enough." Issin, a kind of scrawny guy whose hair reminded me of a short paintbrush, stood outside the «Charbroiled Boar». With a nod he headed inside, giving the door a quick shove as he walked through for us to catch.

Guided by Klein to the two tables pushed together, I pulled a seat out for myself beside Choryu, moving the ordering menu flush against the table to the side for the time being. Klein talked a little with everybody before sitting down between Dynamm and Harry One.

"Alright guys. What have we found?" The others took turns speaking up. Like Klein suspected, most of the things they found involved killing a certain amount of creatures. Some of them involved collecting drops, and the duo of Dale and Dynamm managed to find an event that would be available in another day or two. The consensus was that it would be an escort quest to another village.

While they talked, I placed an order for a simple stew and loaf of bread, consuming my meal while they hashed out the details. As they progressed, they each purchased their own meals, slowly turning the conversation to expectations for tomorrow and eventually spitballing hopes and dreams of the far future when we progressed to higher floors.

 _I miss this._

One by one my squadron headed off to the various places to rest, a small amount of cor being exchanged for usage of the stable or extra room to sleep in. Before I knew it, Klein, Harry One, and myself were still at the table, I having taken my time with the still warm bread while Harry and Klein were going through tomorrow's plan in greater detail.

"Asasaki. Asasaki. Asasaki!"

I blinked out of my thoughts and looked up, staring into Klein's bemused face. "Sorry, what were you saying?" _When did Harry leave?_

"Tomorrow you'll be with Harry, Dale, and Issin if you want to go out with us." Once I gave my assent, he started speaking again. "Choryu, Kunimitzz, and Dynamm will be part of my group. We'll be splitting up to handle the quests together; for collection quest we'll be aiming to gather enough materials for everybody to turn in and for kill quests we'll be trying to feed kills to the other member of the group to try and save time."

Giving a curt nod I turned to my meal, throwing etiquette out the door and resting my elbows on the table as I finished off my bread. _This is Aincrad, right? This isn't the middle east anymore._

"We'll be sharing a room, by the way. There's not enough places left for us to take them by ourselves."

I gave another nod, closing my eyes in an attempt to stave off the encroaching memories. "I'll head over later. Where's it located?" I picked at the rest of the bread, consuming mere fragments at a time.

"It's over on the eastern part of the village, just at the edge of the forest line. Hey, while we're here let me teach you about the Friend section." Klein stood up and moved to my side, sharing his screen with me to teach about the various functions, primarily the Locate feature.

Up to a certain point it would only give a general description of where your friend was. If somebody was in the somewhat distant village of Horunka, that's all the system would explain. Once you got in the same area and within a certain range the system would put a marker on your map showing where they were. Getting there was something you had to do on your own, but at least you had a point to travel to.

With the function explained I slowed down my eating, biding time for him to leave. Eventually the Curved Blade user left for the room we were spending the night at, getting a promise out of me not to wander out by myself.

 _Shouldn't they be coming through right about now? I've already eaten my entire meal-_

 _ **They're not here anymore. These guys aren't them.**_

I waited a few more minutes, focusing on the grain of the wood before slowly standing up and walking out the tavern. By now the sun had fully set, and an artificial sky of stars and a waning moon spread over my head. With a heavy breath I set out of the hamlet, keeping a partial eye on where my feet brought me. Eventually I found a small clearing, where the false lights of the ceiling filtered through the leaves.

 _In, two, three, four…_

I knelt down and methodically rested my sheathed blade against the tree.

 _Out, two, three four._

"Hey. It's been a while, hasn't it?" I stared at the engraved ivory sheath, brushing off an imagined smudge. "A couple days, if I remember correctly." The sword said nothing, staring at the same twinkling points of electricity as me.. "I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm finally ready to continue."

Another controlled breath. "There's so much we didn't know about, you know? I'm wondering if we actually knew about it, if we'd actually bothered to ask around and experiment with everything, if it would have made a difference." Slowly I blinked, a wetness accompanying the images.

"I'm sorry I let you down. You brought me here, and then when it was my turn to guide you I failed." A pained laugh escaped my mouth. "But I guess," I turned my gaze back to the sword, the original weapon contained within tucked away somewhere in my inventory, "maybe this time we can do this together. Properly." I brought my head to the ground in a deep bow, a soundless absolution leaving my lips.

 _Please my dear friend, forgive me._

* * *

 _A full reupload of the chapter has been made on June 1st. Original posting approximated on June 16, 2017._


	2. Whimsical Wind

I figure I should give some context for this story. I started writing it because I wanted to try out the whole "Stream of Consciousness" thing. And to an extent I'm doing that. The original goal was to have the first week be for just writing stuff, getting everything out there. The second week would be going through and editing, revising, etc to make it presentable. The third was just extra time for other people to take a look at it and give their input before I went ahead and published it, but considering that I managed to get this section out within a week, I decided to go ahead and publish it.

The afternoon portion should be ready around either June 30th/July 1st or July 7th-8th.

* * *

I stared at Klein's sleeping face. My clock interface told me it was 6:43. I had already done most of my morning exercise with an abbreviated run in anticipation of the day's combat. The reason why I was staring at his face was because I was debating whether or not I should rouse him from his slumber. In the end I decided to turn it into a game and began counting how many times I could poke his cheek before he reacted.

Around the 28th poke, when I started poking twice in a row, the «Curved Blade» user rolled over and lazily slapped my hand away. "Rise and shine, Mr. Scruffles. The locals are heading out and could use our assistance." A blatant lie. While I waved and responded to the Virtual Intelligences that were heading out to work, I didn't engage in actual conversation with them. But if Klein ended up believing that I was bothering him for a Quest, perhaps he would be more amicable.

"Urgh, who wakes up at 6 in the morning?" he droned out, moving into a sitting position. I brushed away a few pieces of hay that had managed to find themselves nestled into his hair. The plant material wasn't the most comfy, and the sheets we were given didn't offer the best protection against the tips, but it was better than sleeping on the floor.

"Wise men and those who live by the sun." I continued poking his cheek, smiling as I gave a humming laugh. "I'll be waiting in the «Charbroiled Boar». Not a good idea to go hunting without something in your belly." I stood up and twirled around, hands clasped behind my back. While the previous night did not heal me completely, it was cathartic enough that I could feel part of my normal behavior return. Having somebody to keep my mind off it while I continued coping, as one-sided as it was, certainly helped.

I ignored the window that popped up when I grabbed the handle of the tavern door, pulling it open and stepping inside. It disappeared a few seconds later. I responded back to the lone chef/waiter/barkeep (did they even sell alcohol here?), declining his offer to get something ready while I set up the tables for another group meeting. I didn't really expect anything out of my impromptu gathering, but back in real life I had always made it a point to share at least one meal with my companions every day, even if it was over MRE's.

While I waited, I ordered a simple tea made from a plant whose name was unknown to me. It certainly didn't follow any conventions I knew of, but perhaps it was creative license from the designers. Even if this world was somewhat realistic in design, it still had fantasy elements. A made up name for items would be totally understandable.

I looked up, giving a small wave to Dale before returning to my wooden cup of tea. It was moderately bitter, but not so much that you couldn't take it down. There was a hint of natural sweetness in it, and it was aromatic enough that I spent more time simply bringing the cup up to my nose and inhaling its scent than I did drinking.

I guess I had fallen into a trance of sorts, for when I next looked up I found the entirety of Klein's group digging into various dishes based around either beans or eggs. When Klein asked if I was going to eat I had told him that I had eaten earlier, and now that I knew how to work the menu I had some snacks tucked away for later.

Even so, he and the others slowly began harping on me to at least eat something. The first reasoning that came to mind for this was that they thought I was of the mind that in order to keep my figure I needed to skip meals. I made it a point to slowly eat the bacon and strange fruit I ordered.

"Alright guys. I looked over all the quests and did what I could to find out the rewards. If we accomplish everything, we should each be able to pick up a full set of leather armor, a bone ring that increases our damage and agility values, a small set of healing and curative potions, and then the final quest for this area will be to deliver a letter as well as escorting somebody over to another town." There was a mostly unanimous groan at that. I hid mine by taking a sip of my refilled drink.

"Like we decided yesterday, we'll be splitting up into groups of four, swapping between quests so we don't over hunt something and end up making it harder on ourselves to find drops and items. When we swap over to do the other set we can update each other on what we learned and how to make the process smoother. Harry, Dale, Issin, and Asasaki will be in group A." The four of us made eye contact, changing seats to group up.

"Choryu, Kunimitzz, and Dynamm will be part of my group. We'll be taking care of the «Boar Hunt» quests as well as the «Goblinoid Extermination» line. You guys will be taking care of the «Hidden Plants» questline. It's a fairly long item collection set regarding plants as well as natural item spawns. Oh, and if you end up finding any weapons or metals, hold onto them. The blacksmith here says he knows the basics of weapon forging and can try to make us some better weapons out of anything we find."

They made some idle chatter for a few more minutes. Eventually, Harry stood up and made mention of how we should head off before we wasted any more time. I downed my fourth cup, the drink having grown on me in the hour and a half or so it took for everybody to gather and eat.

The four of us made our way from building to building, talking to the relevant NPC's to acquire our quests before heading off into the forest. Harry One took charge, leading the way with a mostly stern face while Dale and Issin chatted about a group of girls they had met back in the «Town of Beginnings». Harry looked back from time to time to give his opinion on the matter, his eyes softening slightly with familiarity. It took me a minute to figure out exactly why this situation bothered me so much.

"I don't think I ever introduced myself properly." I ran forward a few steps, stopping in front of the trio. "My name is Dawn Lakewood. You may call me Asasaki. In this world, I plan on keeping as close to my real life abilities as possible, taking advantage of the numerical system used in place of muscles. To that extent, I prefer maneuvering around the objective to either take a direct shot or flank them. In that sense, it wouldn't be too far fetched to call me a Stealth Specialist." I gave a proper bow, hoping my introduction wasn't too improper. Considering how close knit they seemed to be, as well as how friendly Klein and I acted the previous day, perhaps it wouldn't matter too much.

Surprisingly, it was Harry who spoke up first, extending a hand towards me. "My name here is Harry One. You could think of me as the second in command of our group in every game we play. Where everybody else debates on what we should do next, I'm the one who looks up guides and gathers information. I normally prefer being a control mage with a lot of area of effect abilities, but since there's no magic in this game I'm settling for being one of our heavy tanks."

I smiled and greeted him, looking at the other two members of our group. The big one spoke up next, introducing himself as Dale. "Whenever we had get togethers, I'd bring hand made snacks. I used to work at a small, but well liked restaurant in the town I lived in. In all the games we've played, I usually take a heavy melee weapon. I might not be a shield user like Harry and Dynamm are planning, but I can still soak up damage in a pinch."

The next one to speak up was Issin. From looks alone he seemed to be a speedster of sorts. If not by quick attacks then repositioning. "I work at a few convenience stores part time. I'm currently taking care of my general studies, and I'm not really sure what I want to major in just yet." He scratched his cheek, buying some time while he thought. "I normally use Ranged equipment but since that's not really an option I'm probably going to look into spears or javelins."

I gave a wide, slightly forced smile, looking around at the faces of our group. The sense of unbelonging had somewhat diminished after our mutual exposure to each other. I doubted that I would ever feel as connected as my old group, but it was a start.

We talked a little more about our general performance and cemented what specific roles we each should take care of. It was decided that Issin and I would be our primary damage dealers, with Harry and Dale acting as our forward guards when dealing with combat. Outside of combat, I would be taking point. Harry and Dale would be alert for anything I might have missed or flanking our sides, and Issin would be managing our six.

We would constantly have our tracking symbols, green inverted triangles, active on our map, keeping said map display in our vision. Anything noteworthy I found would be sent to Harry in a quick message, and if I was needed back with the group they would notify me. They shared a short look of suffering when I explained that I would need a quick demonstration of how to utilize everything, stating that I was not familiarized with the interface just yet.

With our plan of action defined, we set off once more, a budding sense of teamwork easing into my mind. While I was off exploring, arranging sticks and stones on the ground into various patterns to keep track of the route we went (something I did out of habit, having not gotten used to the mapping system we had), I sent a message to Harry as to whether I should fill my inventory with the «Toxic Caps» I found growing around a tree.

#Take a bundle and mark location. Quest item. #

I nodded to myself and made my markers on the ground more noticeable, sending off a message of what to look for. While they caught up, I moved across the small clearing, peeking around trunks with a small pep in my step, acting much like I did in my younger days when I went camping with my family.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Just trees, brush, and the artificial sun dancing through the trees. Certainly nothing that seemed animated. #Do monsters spawn here?# I sent off, climbing up a tree to get a better view. I pressed the circle button that popped up, dismissing the level up notification.

This had happened from time to time while we traveled. Mostly whenever I dashed between trees or jumped over roots or other flora. At this point I had reached level six in «Acrobatics», and suspected the growth would start slowing down around level ten.

I held off on reading Harry's response, narrowing my eyes to try and figure out what the strange shape I could see between the branches was. In the end I decided to send another message off regarding the location and estimated time to encounter based on their current pace. Once I sent that, I read through Harry's message, wondering how often the NPC's of the hamlet we stayed at frequented this «Forest of Tranquility».

#Waiting for you. Enter combat formation.» I closed out the notification, making my way down a few branches before jumping the rest of the way down. After dusting off some of the dirt from my clothing, I placed my sheathed blade back over my torso and headed off to Harry, following the tracking dots that were superimposed on my vision.

"One of the quests is asking us to collect various plant materials. Apparently they're ingredients for a stew that's very nutritious, and tastes quite a bit like meat. The villagers don't always make it though since most of the materials they need are from plants that can fight back." I nodded at Harry's explanation, moving into the center of our 2-1-1 formation, myself being in the middle while Issin was directly behind me.

We decided on using this to let Harry and Dale be the primary targets. Once further orders were given, Issin and I would respond accordingly. If nothing was issued, I would flank to the left and Issin to the right. My ambidextrous ability allowed me to perform on whatever side I needed to be. When Dale asked if it mattered what slot I used to equip my sword I responded by saying I had never used a shield (not bothering to mention that on occasion I had utilized my first scabbard as a bludgeon a few times during the first week), and that I never noticed any difference. Having finally learned how to use «Sword Skills», we wondered if my ability to fight with either hand would affect my usage.

When we arrived at the mass of shapes, we discovered that they consisted of three «Vernal Mandragora». I recognized the last name and thought it a little odd that a type of plant normally know for it toxic properties (with some limited use in herbal medicine) would have been chosen for a name that would be used in a stew.

When I blinked out of my thought process, I realized that Dale had guided me back several steps so that Harry could refine the plan. "The npc's said that while the plants can fight, they shouldn't be too difficult, but they only ever hunted them in a group."

"Should we try and split them up?" Issin asked, stepping to the side to get another look at them.

"Maybe, but we should assume that won't be an easy process. They are plants, after all." Harry had a point. It would be safest to work on the beliefs that, while not unfair, anything we came across would be difficult to deal with.

"Should I act as a decoy?" I asked, looking up at each of them. "I'm confident in my abilities, and based off their appearances, they shouldn't be too fast." Harry looked me in the eye, weighing the option.

"Alright," he conceded, "but if you fall under 50% hp regroup with us and we'll face them head on, letting you and Issin attack from the flanks where possible." I lazily saluted my current leader, mentioning that I'd wait for a message before engaging.

As I moved into position, I couldn't help but demean the fake looking appearance of our targets. Aside from the obvious digital construct issue, the sheen of the green, leafy body (that looked more like a multi layered dress or kilt than leaves) was far too much, seeming plastic in appearance. The unblossomed, cabbage red bulb that was slightly sticking out of the base didn't help matters. There were creases on one side of the plants that look eerily looked like a pursed mouth and closed eyes. I couldn't help but wonder if those folds would receive significant damage if I attacked them.

#Engage. Lure one and hold.# I closed out of the window, chucking a rock at the thickest part of the bulb for the closest plant. It shook slightly before rising up, revealing three legs made from spiraling roots that dug into the ground. Its leafy dress shook once more, and fuzzy appendages that looked almost like branches uncurled. Thankfully, the bulb that rose out from its nest didn't have anything extra aside from the angry looking creases that served as eyes. All in all, it looked like it was a angry, stout, green, frilled kilt wearing inverted light bulb with a shiny red cap. I had the sense that my former companion would have made a comment about my enemy and its appearance, one I would have smacked him for making.

I flung another rock, slowly luring the creature out. Eventually, it stopped lumbering towards me. On the sides of it, I noticed the two other monstrosities starting to move away. I tensed, eyes flicking from ground to creature in anticipation of its attack.

My answer came in the form of the beast twisting, releasing a salvo of leaves at me as it unwinded. I leapt to the side, accidentally releasing a sword skill when I threw another pebble upon landing. By now its HP had dipped some 8%, and I smirked when it took another few steps forward. At this point it should be far enough from the other two that I would no longer need to worry about gathering the attention of the other «Vernal Mandragoras». I hunched over slightly, a hand ready to draw my blade while I observed the creature.

The beast suddenly bent forward, bracing itself with two wirey arms. The bulb began unfurling, a gleam emanated from its core. I dashed to my right, curving in to have access at the stalk. I twitched at the screeching sound, ignoring what could have been in favor of hacking away at the arm. Once it pixilated, I turned my attention to the stalk, unleashing a «Vertical» followed by a left-right «Slant». At this point, I noticed the beast starting to right itself. Its lower half shook, and beneath its leafy frills I noticed the ground bulging. I fought to get out of the «Post Motion», narrowly dodging the roots that shot up where my feet used to be. I slashed at some of the leaves on its lower body before repositioning. The hit only did 1% damage, possibly 3, but in this world attrition was safer than a full blitz.

The remaining hand reached into its dress, pulling out a long frond resembling a sword. I blinked at the action, wondering whether or not it would be able to use «Sword Skills». Charging in slightly hunched over, I decided to lead the next part of our duet. I swapped my blade into my left hand, snaking over to the same direction. Regardless of the incoming attack, I could either dash to the right and attack freely or roll forward and strike from there.

I prepped my blade, moving it behind so it was diagonal to the ground. A chill washed over me. I forced my eyes to focus on the creature's left side, wondering exactly what conditions I met to activate a skill. When the creature started moving into its attack, I let go of the mental trigger, hoping my targeting would let me avoid to strike.

I found myself on the armless side of the beast once again, a vibrant red line tracing the slightly rising path I tore along its front. The giant leaf blade was embedded into the ground, and once the «Post Motion» wore off I took the liberty of quickly flicking my blade to draw an upside down V on the stalk of the «Vernal Mandragora». I leapt back, checking my position in relation to the group before moving to another spot along the edge of the clearing.

Another group of roots sprung up behind me as I ran, and I wondered if the beast would follow this pattern of "attack, root, attack, root". It began wrapping its arm around its torso, winding up for another leaf barrage. I started strafing it, spiraling back in counter clockwise. The leaves tracked me faster than I expected, and I fell to the ground to avoid the attacks. It took me a bit later than I wished to recover my wits and move into a roll. I jogged forward slowly, coiling up as I looked for the rumble of dirt. When I saw it, I leapt up and thrust my sword into the creature's bulb. Instead of pulling out and potentially losing my hand hold, I switched my grip to hold it reverse, driving it in over and over while occasionally moving it side to side to aggravate the wound.

I felt the rippling of what constituted for muscles in the stalk. From my left, I saw the extending arm from the other side moving to grab hold of me. I kicked off the stalk, pulling my blade out in the same motion. My landing wasn't as smooth as it normally would be, and I had to catch myself with my other hand. At this point I wasn't sure what its attack pattern would be, but cutting off the next another source of my problem would be a suitable short term solution.

When I realized that the monster was winding up for another projectile attack, I cursed and began spiraling in from its left, preparing to roll underneath when it inevitably caught up with me.

Its movement went as predicted, and I waited once more for the rumble to occur. I left behind the roots, thrusting my iron into its body with a two handed stab. Swapping to a one handed grip, I began digging my sword around to deal some more damage. Before jumping off to avoid the potential hand attack, I changed hands, hoisting myself up by grabbing the fold of a petal and wrenching my weapon out sideways.

The lip crease turned upwards in a silent scream. Its eyes delivering a considerable amount of hate for a plant. It slumped into the ground, its multi-layered leaf kilt spreading out before it. I saw three trails of disturbed soil converging on my location. With a huff, I started running once more, curving in from the left. When I leapt in to sheathe my blade in its bulb once again, I found myself grabbed midair by a reformed limb. It threw me to the ground roughly. Training kicked in and after the initial impact I rolled with the force, recovering back into a standing position.

That one attack had knocked me down to around 70% of my hp. I still had at least 30, pushing 40% to go before my target fell. "We got you!" I dashed back in when I saw the creature flinch, my allies having rejoined me. I brought my blade across my torso, reversing my swing to slam the hilt into the stalk. With a practiced motion, I chambered it into a two handed stab, twisting my blade and yanking it out to the side.. I heaved myself up, kicking off lightly before moving into another «Stone Sheath».

My strike didn't finish when my creature shattered. When I rose, I had to tug my blade out with both hands, it having sunk into the ground a little over halfway. With a deep breath, I sheathed my blade, looking through the windows that appeared.

#Acrobatics leveled by 2. One Handed Sword leveled by 1. Leather Armor leveled by 1. Gained three «Vernal Fruit», two «Mandragora Fronds», 1 «Bitter root». Gained 80 Cor.#

"So how did your fights-" I cut myself off when I looked at their Health Bars in my upper left. Somehow I managed to break ahead of them by 15% or so, their bars fully in the yellow while mine was still green. I took a moment to regard their standing. A little haggard, but fairly happy with their achievements.

"Dale and I ended up tanking one each. Issin was moving between each target whenever we got rooted. It took some effort, but we managed to change their attack patterns so they would be alternating which one was going for the root," at this Dale chimed in with the remark of "literal", "and which one was attacking."

I nodded at their explanation, watching the ground. In some games, terrain damage would fix itself, but that seemed to be the exception here. The dirt that was moved showed no signs of smoothing over.

"We're going to take a break, just to be safe. Chug a potion or two if the first one doesn't get you above 80%. We'll let it heal up normally to 90% or so from there." I did as he said, taking out one of the low level potions I had and letting its fluid leak out the holes in its tip into my mouth.

"What's left on our requirements?" I asked, laying down and stretching my back.

"We need to look for two «Faithful Cones», collect three bundles of «Swallow Reeds», and bring back a few «Vibrant Branches». We also need to get a total of four «Vernal Fruit», eight «Mandragora Fronds», and three «Bitter Roots» each." The collective sigh from the four of us brought a smile to my face.

"I feel like this might go on until midday," I remarked, pulling out a piece of roasted root. It's texture was like a potato, but its written name was something I couldn't make heads or tails of.

"Maybe. Aside from the Mandragora drops, everything's on the route to a river. We just need to make sure to collect it." I uncorked one of my water skins, swishing the liquid around before swallowing.

"We're sure that the «Mandragora» is the only monster, right? We're not going to end up fighting a Magical Ent or something?" Issin asked, having unequipped his chestpiece for the time being.

"The «Mandragora» was the only monster the NPC's mentioned, so we should be fine." Harry cupped his chin, looking to the side. "Though I wouldn't count not fighting another mob by accident out. They said this section of the forest was supposed to be safer, but it's still not a safe zone like the «Town of Beginnings» or that village."

Dale and Issin gave understanding sounds at that. I stood up and began pacing, not wanting to fully let go of the phantom adrenaline that coursed through me. After a few laps around the clearing, I drew my blade and began moving through my assortment of «Sword Skills», trying to figure out the requirements for that dash attack I did.

"Crouch forward slightly, bring your blade in front of you, parallel to the same side leg, then draw it back," Harry said. "You're trying to do «Rage Spike», right?" The semi-helmeted member of our group stood up, moving to my side. He pantomimed the motion, and I realized how odd it was that I managed to do that the first time around.

With the motions taught, I executed the move, marveling at how smoothly my vision transitioned from point to point. "I feel like there are more skills I'm missing," I commented, walking back to my starting point.

I decided to look through my skill list, tapping my way to the «One Handed Sword» tab. It seemed the only skill I had yet to attempt was «Sonic Leap», a skill whose activation required resting your blade on your shoulder, then leaping before releasing the charge. Just as I was about to start practicing it, Harry called for me to get ready to continue.

I sheathed my blade, eyeing our health bars. That one altercation had brought us all down significantly. Hopefully we wouldn't end up having too many issues. I wasn't sure if the «Health Potions» I had would be enough to last me if we had to fight those creatures more than twice.

Our trip to the river was uneventful. The most that happened was all four of us individually spacing out at some point just to soak in the peaceful ambiance.

I swung my blade out, freeing the «Swallow Reeds» from their base. Harry and I ended up being the only two who had stepped into the creek with Dale and Issin standing guard. While we hadn't come across any monsters after that clearing, there was no shame in precaution.

By tapping just above above an item, I was able to open up a window displaying a short description of the item, durability, and whether to drop it, put it in my inventory, and for the reeds I had a greyed out button for equipping or using it.

The plant was turned into a «Swallow Reed Bundle» when it entered my inventory, a length twine that appeared from nowhere wrapping around the strands. "Alright. There's the last for this area," I called out. There were a few more plants on the other side of the water, but we figured it wouldn't be safe to cross the creek. As far as we could tell, this river marked the edge of the quest zone. Crossing it might lead to a more difficult area, and we might not even find anything relevant over there.

"We'll head farther up stream. Could find something useful." Harry had donned his boots and was walking on the dirt while I stayed barefoot, embracing the feeling of the smoothened pebbles and silt. It was something I hadn't felt in several years.

"Hey, do you think we could find some place big enough to swim in?" I glanced over at Dale, who was eyeing the water longingly.

"Probably. Not sure if it won't be infested with monsters though. There was an entry in the «Guidebook» about a village situated around a lake to the south." Most of the chatter involving Harry went along those lines. One of us would ask a question or say something and Harry would respond with what he knew or expected based on said knowledge. It was comforting, being near somebody that seemed so reliable in terms of strategy and random facts.

"Water feels weird though," I commented, splashing around a bit. "I can't place it, but it doesn't feel right. Like I'm in liquid but I'm not getting wet." We continued on in silence for a while, unwilling to disturb the sounds of nature.

Once we gathered the last «Swallow Reed Bundle», we split the required amount among our group, dividing up the few extra bundles for Klein's group. "And now we just need to find the last of those «Mandragora» drops, right?" I shook my legs off before sitting down. It was possible to directly equip items from your inventory to the relevant area, but I found it much more humanizing to materialize it and put it on that way.

"Just the «Mandragoras»," Harry confirmed. We took a quick break for my benefit (mostly for water and to enjoy the sounds of nature) before back tracking along the route we took earlier. It was decided to have Issin and myself spiral out from the group, rejoining once we confirmed that nothing was on our side. In this manner, we could keep advancing while making sure we didn't miss anything on our initial trek.

After a time, I sent a message to Harry, regarding how there were monsters up ahead, coincidentally in the same place we fought the «Mandragora's». I snuck closer, mindful that their aggression range might not be the same as the first time around. A «Slumbering Lily» had taken the place of one of the pseudo-mandrakes, the creature being in the rear of the trio with the other two «Vernal Mandragora».

I quickly read through Harry's response, shooting back the composition of our enemies before following the marker trail back to him. "How should we proceed?" I asked upon arrival.

Harry took a moment, presumably to organize his thoughts. "We'll need to discuss that in detail. As before, Dale and I will be taking care of the brunt of the attacks. We'll each focus on keeping our target fully on us while Issin moves between our two enemies. As for Asasaki, I want you to bring the other one away from the fight, or to try and disable it as much as possible. It's that issue that we need to work on."

He took a visible inhale. I guess whatever he was thinking of was rather difficult for him. "The problem is that both the «Slumbering Lily» and «Vernal Mandragora» have «Root» attacks. The «Lily» has that wide spread Root-Stun attack, while the «Mandragora» is able to fire off a ranged screech attack in any direction it chooses. What I'm trying to figure out is whether we're better off having Asasaki focus on the «Lily» to disable as much of its rooting area of effect as possible why we try and lure the «Mandragoras» far enough away that we don't need to worry about its attack, or if she should take care of one of the «Mandragoras» like last time, while either Dale or I lure the other «Mandragora» outside of the «LIly's» threat range."

I pulled my sheathed blade off my torso, strap and all. I thought through the issue, moving the blade around idly. Either way required a large amount of effort. Our biggest concern was getting attacked from multiple targets at the same time. It was entirely possible that we could get stuck by the roots of one plant and have an attack lined up by another. "I think I should take one of the mandrakes. I remember its attack pattern from earlier, and I should be able to hold out long enough for either side to help out. Plus, if what you said about pulling the other «Mandragora» works out, somebody's going to be forced to take that root whip attack from the «Lily». I don't have the defences or health to take that kind of damage safely. At least with the «Mandragora» I can jump on its body to avoid the root attack and still deal notable damage."

Dale looked a little concerned, but after letting out a sigh spoke up. "I'll have to chug potions along the way, but I can take care of the «Lily». I wouldn't mind getting a few more though, just in case." I flicked open my interface, initiating a «Trade» with the biggest member of our group. I sent two potions over, stating I still had another two as a back up.

It took me a moment to recall the information, but I asked Issin if he had a potion for Stun resistance. When he confirmed that he did, I suggested he chug one now, in case he ended up getting hit by the pollen attack from the «Slumbering Lily».

"Okay! So I'll focus on bringing one of the «Vernal Mandragora» to one side of the field with Asasaki taking care of the other. Dale will handle the «Slumbering Lily», and Issin will swap between the monsters on our side of the field." I couldn't help but mutter clearing in response to that final word. The area we were fighting in was fairly free from trees and foliage, but it wasn't large enough to deserve the term "field". "If you finish your monster, go over and assist the others. Hopefully we can get everything we need with this fight."

I doubted it, but didn't share my concerns. What mattered was the fight ahead. After that could be dealt with when we were safe. As per usual, I led the way, collecting a few stones before moving off to the northern side of the field at Harry's command.

I tossed one of the pebbles up and down, waiting for the message to start to pop up. When it did, I gripped the stone tightly, holding it near my head. When I felt the mental click, I let loose, unleashing the unknown «Sword Skill» directly at the "eye" of my «Mandragora». Not giving it a reprieve, I fired off another, pleased with the light blue trail that rocketed from my hand. The beast slowly rose, a shower of dirt falling from its shiny kilt of leaves.

My mind imagined the sound of an ancient tree groaning in the wind as it started making its way towards me. I chunked another cyan-tinted stone, not yet satisfied with the potential amount of attention I gathered. When it finally leaned over, bracing itself with two spindly limbs, I started running. It was a significant distance from the other two monsters it spawned with. At my distance I couldn't see the text or bars of the monsters, but the red inverted pyramid above their heads told me all I needed about their alignment.

Repeating my intentions from the first round, I slammed the hilt of my blade into what seemed to be the elbow of its left arm before bringing my edge through its upper arm. The combined damage was enough to break it off, and I wasted no time in hauling myself over the stalk, ignoring the scream attack of the plant.

With a flourish, I jumped off the stalk, spinning once mid-air and crashing my sword down one handed on its right limb. My strike severed the limb, pixelating it. Without sufficient distribution of its weight, the plant collapsed on the ground. I took advantage of it by making rapid chopping slashes at a single area. My focus was so intense, I failed to notice the roots travelling through the ground and wrapping around my lower legs. Keeping in mind that the fictional mandrake should be unable to use any other attacks, I took another stab at it before chopping away at the roots binding my feet.

The «Mandragora» and I recovered at roughly the same time. I spared a glance at its health bar as I ran to gain some room. My initial set of attacks had reduced it by around 40% or so. I surmised that after another attack cycle or two I might be able to repeat the same pattern.

At this distance, the rich red petals of the plant remained closed, the leaves that partially hid its lower half shaking slightly as the plant wound up to fire off projectiles. I strafed to the left, rolling underneath the stream of leaves when it neared and advanced towards the plant. Feeling adventurous, I reversed my grip on my blade, leaping up and driving its tip into one of the eye folds. When the plant reared back, I wrenched my arm in a circular motion to maximize the damage it was dealing.

Sensing I was close to the end of my attack window, I kicked off the plant, landing in a roll that I was pleased to have executed perfectly. Its arms had regrown, once again holding long fronds in a manner one would hold swords. Its limbs reared back. When it started moving forward I dashed in, rolling underneath the stab of its right arm and jumping over the follow up slash of its elongating left.

My turned my torso around, flicking my sword above me as I took a few controlled steps, delivering a weak slash to the still outstretched left arm. From there I broke into a full sprint, making a few more weak slashes to the pseudo-branch before pulling myself atop it, kicking off its leafy dress and inserting my sword held into its other eye fold. I lost my footing when it reared back, its arms retracting back to a normal length. With no other purchase to use and expecting its next attack to arrive soon, I wriggled my blade around briefly before kicking off.

The «Vernal Mandragora» shook with a soundless scream and it slammed its trunk back into the ground. A trio of root clusters swarmed out towards me. I took a step back, tracking the speed at which they would arrive. For the first one I performed a short, handless cartwheel to the left. The second, a backstep. The third, I turned to my right and leapt slightly, diving forward and rolling forward a short distance. When I rose, it was with a counter clockwise spin, my blade spiralling out and slashing the three bundles of roots that rose out from where I was.

My phrase didn't end there. I swapped to my left hand and reversed my grip, driving my blade into the earth, its tip severing the first root that had extended out. My head snapped up to look at its next movement, taking in its HP bar. A little under 25% to go.

The plant began winding up, and as I prepared to start moving, I felt that it was taking much longer than normal. When its barrage started, I dashed to the right. At the moment I knew it would catch up to me, I rolled in. When my head rose to reorient myself, my eyes widened and I dove to the side, clumsily barrelling closer to avoid the stream that was still continuing.

I jumped to my feet, swinging under its left arm and bringing my iron through it. Instead of jumping on it and hugging its stalk to avoid the upcoming roots, I instead ran clockwise, slashing my sword upwards from my right. With a twirl achievement by fancy footwork, my next strike appeared further along its body, parallel to the one I made earlier. With a small twist of my body and chambered limb, I brought my blade horizontally from the left, scoring the two lines I had just made.

When its right arm stretched out to grab me, I back stepped and brought my blade down in a «Vertical», severing the limb. My «Post Motion» ended just as the plant reached the apex of its flinch, and I slashed a quick left-right x onto its body. From there I reared back and jammed my weapon at the intersection point half-way through. Supporting my grip with my right hand, I tore my blade up, pulling it free on an overhead crescent. I finished my chain by turning around and moving my blade, now in my right hand, to my side, unleashing a left-right «Slant».

I flung the resulting windows to the side of my vision, running through the glittering crystals to assist with the blossomed «Slumbering Lily». Heaving myself atop its petals, I stabbed my blade through for another handhold. I withdrew my weapon briefly before putting it back through the petal, its edges now running parallel with the midrib vein as I dragged it alongside me. When I neared the core of the bulb, I leapt to the side, slashing the stamens in reach. I leapt fully across the center, attacking the other stamens out of reach. Once I reached the other side, I performed a twirling leap, cutting away the final third of the stamens. As I landed, I coiled up, unleashing a «Stone Sheath» into the pistil. My attack connected, and I found myself continuing the skill through a burst of data.

"Not done yet!" I told Dale, wrenching my blade free and moving to assist Harry and Issin. I brought my blade up to my shoulder, leaping slightly before unleashing the skill. «Sonic Leap» created a vertical red line along the center of the «Vernal Mandragora's» face and I found myself higher in the air than I would had manually be able to.

From my vantage point I watched Harry and Dale unleashed a «Rage Spike» and «Slant» respectively, Issin hanging back to swap in once the monster's attack was fired off. I felt gravity start taking over, and I righted myself to use a falling «Vertical».

The blue glow of my blade clashed with the red of my strike path, and I was pleased that the system recognized my action and let me land relatively safely. When the forced freeze ended, I rose and sheathed my blade, taking a deep breath as Issin finished off the creature.

I started working my way through the windows that had popped up, wondering why the current scenario seemed so off. When I finally looked up, I realized that my partners were staring at me.

"So is this the power of a level six?" Issin asked, cupping his chin with an amused glint in his eye. "Solo a mob and then clean up two more within a minute?" He started nudging me with his elbow. "Can't wait to hit 6 myself if that's the kind of stuff I could pull off."

I made a face, sidling away. "I was just attacking weak points. You guys softened them. They would've fallen in a few more hits anyway." I opened up my inventory, hitting the «Sort» button.

As Harry started talking, I moved my potions into a "quick access" bar, something I could open up by tapping the access points linked to the waist on the diagram of the main equipment screen.

"Asasaki? Asasaki!" I looked up from my screen, wondering if I should express my offendment at the snapping Harry did to get my attention. "We're heading back to the village-" I mentally replaced his word with hamlet, "to meet up with everybody else. It's up to you if you want to take a potion, but we'll try to avoid any combat if anything spawns."

I decided not to take a potion, feeling that it would be better to heal naturally. When we passed the markers for the mushrooms, I asked if we should fill our inventory with some more to either try and sell to the NPC's or just to make the lives easier for Klein's group. Harry agreed and we filled up on what we could. Thankfully, small items such as those stacked up to a maximum of twelve, and we each managed to get two stacks from the various places I marked.

Dale opened the door for us, holding it open with an outstretched hand. The three of us waved at Klein's group. They had arrived before us, and even though they seemed fairly relaxed there was an undercurrent of tension I picked up on.

"You guys get everything you needed?" Scruffles asked, a smile finding its way onto his face.

"We're still missing another battle or two worth of materials. Either we continue hunting them today or later tomorrow. Might end up being the same for you guys. How did your quest line go?" Harry laid out the extra materials we gathered for their sakes, pushing a pouch each of the items towards the other four.

"Same deal for us. We're missing out on more leather from the «Frenzy Boars», and we're all at least eight more goblins and kobolds from finishing that quest line. Turns out there's a bit of tracking you need to do to consistently find them, and they only spawn in groups of two to three." Klein leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head.

"Oh right," he leaned back forward, holding a finger up. "When we ended up killing the tenth «Frenzy Boar», a level 7 «Livid Boar» spawned. It had a fairly large area of aggression and we all ended up having to chug a potion at some point. It dropped a lot of meat, a large tusk, several furs, and three «Tough Leather». The text for that last one said it counted as an enhanced «Boar Leather» and we were thinking that it might affect the stats of the equipment we get."

I sipped at my water, listening in for once. This was information we would need later, and I'd rather memorize it now instead of needing it repeated it later. "Reproductive organs are vitals," I spoke up, remembering my fights.

The group turned to look at me in unison, and I took another sip from my cup to hide my mirth. "For the «Slumbering Lilies», if you can get on top of their petals after they use that powder attack, you can attack the stamen and pistil. It counts as a critical hit of sorts. For the «Vernal Mandragora», cutting off its arms seemed to deal a consistent 5% or so of damage, and then at least the same amount if not more for stabbing them in their eye folds."

I pointed at my scrunched up eyes, trying to imitate the face as best as I could. "The roots the «Mandragora» spawned after one of its other attacks are attackable as well, but the timing is a little weird to get. There's a brief delay between when they reach you and when they actually sprout. Also, after a certain point it also sends out a trio of roots instead of just one. Not sure how that would affect anybody it caught."

I took out one of the slightly stale cakes I had stored in my inventory, breaking it apart into smaller pieces to consume. I watched Issin lean over to Klein, using his hand furthest from me to whisper to his leader. I assumed it was a joke, as the attempt to hide his conversation helped me hear instead of hindering.

"I think she's a developer or something. How else would she have known that information?" I wanted to question his intelligence, but there was a playful look tugging at his eyes and lips.

"They were bright, yellow things that were presented to the world after being hidden away. They were basically screaming "attack me"," I said, upturning the corner of my mouth to try and established I was being friendly with my deadpan delivery.

Issin let out a dramatic cry, pointing both of his middle and index fingers at me. "Egads! Put your stats back to normal, Ms. Developer! It's not fair to us Normies if you just carry us all the time!" I let out an amused chuff as he returned back to Klein.

"He's got a point though. Ms. Asasaki managed to take care of her «Vernal Mandragora» all on her own, and then went on to help clean up the other mandrake and «Slumbering Lily» in short order." Dale looked at me with his arms crossed. It wasn't exactly suspicion in his eyes, but I could read the unsaid question.

"I played a lot of old school games and bullet hells. I'm fairly good at pattern recognition. And like I told Klein, I have real life experience and training that lets me execute a lot of things. The numbers and «Sword Skills» here just make it a little more flashy." I took another sip, glancing at everybody's eyes. Harry and Klein looked at me with caution, while the other five seemed to have a small case of hero worship.

"You guys should eat. It sounds like both halves are fairly tedious." I suddenly hit me that they weren't eating anything at all, or even drinking. Even if this world was false, they should still try and maintain some semblance of reality.

"Yeah. Even if I'm not hungry, we don't know when we'll get back here to eat." Klein tapped something on the table, presumable the button to order something. The rest of the group follow suit, and they descended into scattered conversation.

#Can I trust you?#

I looked up over the small sandwich slash flatbread taco I ordered. Klein's eyes met mine, an adequate hardness in his eyes for a civilian. #I will not intentionally bring harm to your group.#

#But can I trust you.#

I let out a quiet sigh and flicked through my inventory for a few moments before typing out my response. #If you tell me to leap, I will leap,# I lamented the character limit of the messaging system, #create a diversion, I will create a diversion,# I stared into Klein's eyes as I sent the next line. #ask for somebody to stay behind, I will volunteer first.#

His brow furrowed briefly when the message reached him. #Ok. Sorry about the interrogation.#

I gave an ambiguous hum, swirling the tea in my cup around. "So will we be finishing up our portions today or moving to the other half?"

"I wouldn't mind doing the «Forest of Tranquility» for the rest of the day. You said the only combat was at a specific spot, right?" I look over at Choryu, recalling that he was a gamer turned office worker who had returned back to gaming for the VR equipment.

"Yeah. The two times we passed by it, there were three monsters. The only ones we saw were «Slumbering Lilies» and «Vernal Mandragora». Like Asasaki said, the «Lilies» have a weak spot in their bulb once they use their powder attack, and the «Vernal Mandragora» alternates between a ranged or leaf sword attack and its root attack. Everything else is just looking around the forest path on the main route to the river." Harry One was living up to his self-description as being the information gatherer for the group. I gave a quiet golf clap that went unnoticed.

"The «Goblinoid Extermination» quest and «Livid Boar» was pretty scary. I wouldn't mind putting that off for tomorrow." Choryu gave a nervous chuckle at that, looking down at the table with an almost far off look.

"You get used to it. It's scary now, but just remember you have teammates who can look out for you. If you think you'll freeze up, just listen to your commander. Believe in the one who believes in you." I blinked at the snickers that erupted from Klein's original group, deciding it pass it off as an inside joke I accidentally invoked.

Harry did his speak to speak clearly, but it was broken up by chuckles. "As our strategists and the ones in charge of the formations, Klein and I will do our best to keep you away from the front lines. It helps that you're a dagger user, so tanking blows isn't expected from you." Mr. Trendy gave a breath of relief.

"So we'll swap quests for the afternoon. Nothing special aside from that «Livid Boar» spawn, and the goblinoids appearing in groups of three for you guys" Klein stood up at that, a confident grin on his face. "We'll meet back here at 6, maybe sooner depending on how things go." Everybody else stood up, returning the look. I rolled my eyes but joined the festivity, giving a smirk.

"To victory, and new gear!" We resounded Klein's toast, putting the tables back where they belonged before heading back out. We weren't stressed enough to warrant saying our spirits had been renewed, but there was a definite sense of upliftment as we headed out in the afternoon light.

* * *

Next chapter should be posted no later than July 7th-8th.


	3. Echoes

AN: Not entirely happy with how parts of this turned out. I personally felt that some scenes didn't flow right. I'm liking this "Chapter a Week" approach though. I don't think I would be against a "Chapter every two weeks" deadline, but part of me feels like I might lose steam if I took that approach.

* * *

I hummed tunelessly to myself as I meandered through the woods. The past two hours or so had resulted in a few successful hunts. Now I was currently killing time until I came across another set of tracks. I had explained to the rest of the group that trying to find these things would take some time, and this being a game it was likely the chance to find the tracks were completely random in a given area.

They had decided to rest after each encounter, claim the setup of the goblins we had just killed for their own while they waited. What they did varied, and often depended on how comfortable they were with boredom.

#Watch out for «Giant Wasps». May spawn in region.#

I froze at Issin's message, recalling the giant insect swarm we had passed the day before. I responded with a quick "thanks" and continued on my way, stilling much more often with every strange sound I heard.

Eventually I came across a bare print of a goblin, its foot having left a mark in the detritus. I followed the trail for a little bit, internally rejoicing when another pair of tracks joined it. I clambered up a tree, looking for any sort of clearing based on the density of the trees which my marks might have gone off to.

With a slight smirk, I leap to the ground, moving off to my predicted location. My guess was successful, and I sent a message off to Harry to start moving towards me. While I waited, I moved closer to get a better look, informing my current leader that our targets consisted of four goblins. Two of which were using spiked, wooden clubs while the other two were using a simple sword and dagger respectively.

"How should we do this?" I asked once they arrived. Our past encounters alternated between somebody acting as bait with the others jumping in or a full frontal assault. Either way worked out, as controlling the goblins was as simple as starting off with a «Sword Skill» and at least two people alternating their attacks from there. With four goblins it might be a different story.

"Issin. You and Asasaki circle around to the sides. Dale and I will charge in from the front and try to split through the middle, dividing them into two. Once that happens, or if we fail and they crash back into us, you two come in and take one target each. We'll work from there." We all gave some sign of acknowledgement to Harry plan's before moving off to our positions.

I hunched over slightly, ready to draw my blade. On the other side of the clearing, Issin was leaning against a tree, his blade held loosely beside him. Our targets were gathered around a smouldering fire pit, each one lazing about with their weapon beside them.

Harry and Dale inched closer, their weapons bared in front of them. With without a word, they charged in, soundless cries fueling their attack. Dale shoulder checked the goblin closest to me, turning around and attacking the one he had trampled. Past him, I saw Harry start off with a shield skill, closing the small gap between him and his chosen target.

I waited for my mark to get back up, unleashing a «Rage Spike» as its hand neared its dagger. It let out a squeal as it was driven back, the tip of my blade smashing into its chainmail tunic.

I set back on it when I recovered from the «Post Motion», slicing its arms when it reached out to grab me. The creature ran to grab its weapon once again, its movement halted when I drove the pommel of my sword between its shoulder blades, shifting into a «Horizontal» aimed at its neck.

I turned around, pained cry of the goblin that morphing into tinkling glass. The rest of my group was still dealing with their respective goblin, but a few more hits and they would be dealt with. I looked through my pop ups, taking note of the cor I received.

"I kind of wish these goblins were harder to deal with. It's like dealing with slimes." I looked up at Dale, slightly agreeing with his opinion.

"Some slimes are really mean though. You think you're fighting with a fat blob of health, but you end up with a swarm of sentient amoebas that can bounce you to death." I looked to the side, letting out a pained breath as I recalled that specific incident.

"Please don't tell me that actually happened to you."

"It was just a story I heard about," I told Harry, not meeting his eyes. "How many more goblins do we need to kill?"

"Sixteen," he responded.

I spun around and looked at the trees, bemoaning how long these quests were

"A total of thirty, right?" I asked. I wondered if taking down that many would influence the spawn rate as well as whether or not this would have actual effects for us in the region.

"Around that, yeah." When I turned back around, Harry was tapping through something. Dale and Issin were sitting down on the logs the goblins had been using. "Do you guys want to go deal with the leather questline for a bit? It's a little boring doing this. No offense, Asasaki."

I waved his concerns off, stretching a little. "I'm fine with whatever."

"What if Asasaki went ahead and let us know if there are any encampments we can clear out? We can meet her out in the fields once we take care of them." I looked over at Issin who was eating some bread I had convinced him to bring as a snack.

"That would work. You okay with that?"

I stood back up and nodded at Harry. "I'll head off then. I'll let you know what markings to look for." Harry wished me luck as I slipped back to the main path. There were four small divots on the road. It seemed to me that was a two way path for carts, likely hand pulled.

I walked off the trail, a broken branch catching my attention. I followed markings for several minutes, arranging patterns on the ground to signal where to go. #Found one. Two goblins, clubs.#

I closed out Harry's response without looking at it, continuing my way southeast to the fields. Some time later, the counter for my goblinoid kill count increased by two. I hummed in appreciation, stepping out onto the plains. It was a welcome sight. While the forest had a moderate chill to it, the plains had a relaxing warmth, one I wouldn't mind falling asleep to.

The sound of a monster spawned dispelled that notion, and I strode towards the beast, blade in hand. The «Frenzy Boars» didn't spawn that often, only twice a minute. A little unusual compared to the boars closer to the «Town of Beginnings» but perhaps it was slow player leveling or a direct result of this quest. I lost myself in the killing, each victim falling in two blows or less.

That wasn't to say I was focused on how I execute the boars, but I was running on autopilot. Whenever my target fell, I'd walk around slowly for a new monster to spawn before either running right up to it or using a «Rage Spike» or «Sonic Leap».

I'd like to think I couldn't be blamed when I suddenly found myself atop a horse sized boar that had spawned out of nowhere, having used its snout as a stepping pad. When it clicked that I should be fighting, I sunk my blade into the creature's side, driving it up to the hilt before pulling it out. Its flailing became worse, and I righted myself atop the beast, grabbing a fistful of neck hairs to secure myself.

I clamped onto its torso with my legs, flicking my sword every few strides onto its right foreleg. Its movement slowed slightly, but it picked back up. When I looked up, I realized that the «Livid Boar» was charging right at a tree, likely planning on crushing me between its body and the trunk.

I jumped off the boar when it neared, landing in a roll and turning around to face the quadruped. It dawned on me just how big the creature was, my head reaching just under the top of its snout. "Fuck me," I drawled out, shifting onto the balls of my feet.

I leapt to the side when it charged, curling inward to avoid the incoming tusk when it turned its head. I snaked back in upon landing, scoring a thin line on its side. I continued this a few more times, not always recovering in time to make a strike. Eventually I managed to line its charge up so that it would slam into another tree.

Taking advantage of its stunned state, I hoisted myself onto its back by using its tail and derriere as a temporary sheath. I crawled back up to its neck, sliding my sword between its ribs before pulling it downwards. The behemoth swine let out a squeal, bucking a few times before turning around and continuing its rampage. I jammed my blade through its neck, repeating the process a few more times until it fell on its side.

Inflicted with paralysis, its hp was slowly draining away. I stalked towards it, a dour smirk pulling at my lip. I raised my blade with both hands, the System taking over and plunging it through its eye, yielding another squeal. It still had hp remaining, though it was fading at a rapid clip. I twisted my sword around slowly, waiting until the last few percent to sheathe it. My hand moved to look through the windows that had popped up a few seconds later, sending the four «Rough Furs», two «Common Logs», and five «Boar Meat» to my inventory.

When I looked up, I raised a hand to greet the trio standing at the edge of the clearing. "How went your hunt?" I asked, already knowing their response.

"It went well. Not as good as your hunt though," Issin responded, a touch of nervousness on his face. "Were you really that bored that you went ahead and killed ten «Frenzy Boars» without us?"

I shrugged. "It ended up happening. I didn't notice what I was fighting until I was on its back. Weak point is its neck and underside, by the way." I slide my finger across the relevant areas on my body.

"Yeah, we noticed." Harry stepped forward, drawing his weapons. "You don't mind sharing your drops, right? This is a material quest after all." As he approached me, the spawn rate for «Frenzy Boars» increased, an additional one spawning for Dale and Issin when they stepped forward.

"Aside from the «Rough Fur» from the «Livid Boar», at least until the end. We should discuss who gets the enhanced materials once we have enough basic materials as a group." He gave a grunt at that, heading off to fight.

I stepped towards a «Frenzy Boar» of my own, left hand moving to open up my «Quest Log». We each needed fifteen leather. I was already sitting on nineteen, including the four from the «Livid Boar». At this rate it was likely we'd need to face that «Livid Boar» at least two or three more times. It should be easier with four people, but I didn't know how well I could pull off my matador routine if there were others to worry about.

"Hey, Asasaki! Hold on!" I looked up, my blade flicking out to the side after stabbing through a boar's head. Dale and Issin seemed a little worried, looking around frantically.

"What's up?" I jogged over to Harry, wondering what he needed my attention for.

"Dammit, we were going to prepare for the «Livid Boar»! Get your head out of the clouds and start working with us again! We were talking about it this entire time! Issin, work with Asasaki and whittle it down! Dale, group with me and we'll share Tanking!" I blinked, wondering why they were so panicked. Sure, the incoming creature was around the size of a SUV, but it wasn't as if it was covered in armor.

"I'll get the right," I called out to Issin, tossing my sword into my left hand. A spawning circle formed, materializing another «Livid Boar» with a roar, making me wonder how it didn't catch my attention the first time around. I took a few steps back, mentally measuring my distance to make sure Dale and Harry were closer.

Harry screamed a challenge in return, stepping forward with his shield raised. Dale moved beside him, his sword held to take the brunt of the other tusk. The boar crashed into their defenses, their feet tearing up the earth.

I dashed in, crouching down and springing up in a spinning leap. I drove my blade into the beast's side, using gravity to assist the force of my strike. Once my momentum jerked me downward, I heaved myself up, pulling my way towards the neck. I let out a yelp when the boar buckled particularly roughly, jamming my blade between bones for another handhold.

"Asasaki! Jump!" Not know why that was commanded, I leapt to the side, unable to grab my blade out in time. When I stood back up I, the boar had slammed its side into a tree, missing my embedded sword.

"I'm unarmed!" I yelled, moving away from the fight. "If you can catch it, I can get back on!" I missed their reply, moving to the right side of the boar. I wasn't sure if I could get back on completely, but at the very least I should be able to reclaim my sword.

Harry and Dale caught the beast by the tusks once more, Issin moving in from behind them to strike its neck. I lunged for my sword, pushing off its ribs with my feet once grabbed ahold and tore my blade down its side.

I rolled back somewhat awkwardly, jumping away with the knowledge I wouldn't be able to get a safe hit in. The boar broke off and ran away, making a wide turn to barrel back into us. Our two decoys moved up to meet its charge, bracing themselves for the impact. It was a little odd that they were purposely meeting its attack as opposed to letting trees disorient it, but I supposed their method was much more consistent and arguably safer.

Issin and I ran in from the sides, swinging at its exposed neck. I finished my attack off with a quick thrust, dashing out to avoid its shaking head. Harry and Dale seemed to be taking around 5 or 8% damage each time they crashed against its charge and in two runs we had managed to get around a fourth of its health down. We'd be able to kill it, but our two forwards would need to down a few potions to get back to a reasonable amount of hp.

We repeated the strategy a few more times. I tried to get on its back once more, but it only yielded the same result; a bucking ride and slamming its body into a tree to try and turn me into paste. I was lucky on that attempt though in that it drove my sword into its body deeper, but Harry told me not to do that again, that it was throwing off our rhythm.

"I don't think we can fight that again. We don't have any more potions." Harry mentioned once the boar died, a solemn look on his face. In our haste to try out the other quests, we had forgotten to resupply. I still had a single health potion and my curatives (or rather, preventatives) but it seemed that my allies weren't as frugal with health management.

"Should we just kill two more boars each before heading back?" I asked, looking at the spawning creatures. The only items I had received from that «Livid Boar» was a «Tusk Fragment», two slabs of «Boar Meat», and two «Common Logs».

"Sounds good." Harry moved over to Dale, letting their HP recover. Issin tore through his with ease while I took my time, leisurely dancing around my target and whittling its health away.

"Remember to only kill two." Issin placed a hand on my shoulder, giving a squeeze. "Not unless you're willing to handle that boar by yourself, Ms. Ninja." I shrugged his hand off, staring at a spawning matrix.

"I'm not against it, but I only have a single potion left. I don't know how the others would feel if I went ahead and did that on my own." I waltzed over to the «Frenzy Boar», leaping into the air and unleashing a «Stone Sheath» into his skull.

"Looks like I got lucky. Both of those boars gave me two «Ragged Furs» each." I materialized one of the furs, the data appearing in a burlap sack.

"Hey, nice! How many does that make that now?" Issin looked through his interface, _probably_ comparing his own loot.

"23, including the four «Rough Fur» from the «Livid Boar» I fought earlier." I put the item back into my inventory, sitting down beside Dale. "I feel like we should use the «Rough Fur» for our front lines. The armor boost should make their lives easier."

"That's what we were thinking. It'd be nice if we could make an enhanced set for everybody though." Harry nodded on the other side of Dale, commenting on how they would normally make sure everybody's equipment were at a certain level. Unless a drop was specific, gear would be used to replace the most outdated piece in the group.

Issin tagged out with our two front liners, plopping down beside me. "Hey, so about earlier. Do you normally go for killing blows?"

I gave a soft hum. "Usually, yes. There's no need to draw things out if you can end them with a single blow." I took off my sword, laying it down beside me.

"What about in real life?"

I turned to look at him, smirking a little at his nervousness. "In real life I _probably_ wouldn't be going for the killing blows." I stressed the word probably, trying to emphasize I wasn't against taking a life. "In most situations, my objectives could be talked down or I can subdue them without much harm, but from time to time you just have to act." I snapped my fingers on that last word.

"What would you do if you came up against PK'ers?"

I recognized the term from my old companion. "Probably kill all but one, or how ever many people I had in my group. It's not exactly like threat of pain can do much to deter people in this world. Honestly it'd end up being a battle of force."

Issin made a noise of understanding. "What did you do back in the real world, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Military Police in a few civil war zones. I'm not willing to say much more than that." I grunted quietly, moving into a bridge to stretch out my back. "I don't know if I mentioned it, but I had some time off and was spending it with an old friend. We got in the game together but he ended up dieing to a boar." I laid down, letting my limbs splay out. "My sheath is actually from him." I lifted up my sword, displaying its carved ivory scabbard.

"At least you have something to remember him by, right?" Issin avoided looking at me, his face tinted with embarrassment. I responded with another grunt, sitting up when I noticed Dale and Harry moving back towards us.

"Shall I go on ahead again?" I tied my sword back over my tunic, adjusting the straps for comfort.

"Sure. Feel free to start off any goblins you think you can handle." I lazily saluted Harry, walking back into the forest. It was just as quiet the first time around. Unseen birds chirping, a gentle wind blowing through the leaves. I was glad I had a weapon on me.

There was a difference between being in the woods all on your own and exploring the area around a campground with friends. A niggling feeling of anxiety whispered at the back of my mind, a heightened paranoia that resulted from the knowledge that there may be other players with hostile intentions nearby. I took a deep breath and soothed that portion of my psyche, devoting the majority of my attention to looking for goblin tracks.

The trails weren't as common this time around. I had scanned areas several times just to make sure I hadn't missed something before calling it and moving on. In the end the only trail I found was one relatively near the village, a winding path that suggested they were investigating the buildings from afar.

"How many targets do I have today?" I asked myself, easing my way closer. Three goblins were huddled around what looked like a drawing, one of them using a stick to illustrate their topic. "A small lie never hurt anybody," I whispered, sending off a single word to Harry.

I crouched down and picked up two stones, firing them off with the still unknown skill in rapid succession. One of my marks fell to the ground, the symbol for the Stunned status appearing over its bar. The other cradled its head with a arm before drawing its sword and screeching a challenge at me.

I fired back a smirk, pulling my blade free from its sheath as I shot forward. I caught the lead goblin's attack by the arm, a downward swipe with its cudgel, swinging underneath and behind it in a fluid motion. With a heavy tug, I pulled it to the side, placing it between the other goblin and myself. I drew my sword across its neck, a following chambered pommel strike to the temple sending it to the ground.

I met the last standing goblin's horizontal strike with the flat of my blade, return the blow by slapping the edge of my blade against its unprotected cheek. When it gave a cry of rage I reared back and stabbed my sword through its mouth.

Seeing that the club wielder I had struck first was still downed, I took a step and leapt into the air, sending a «Stone Sheath» through its skull. That one pixilated with the single attack, the other two struggling on the ground as their bar rapidly depleted.

"I'll take that," I spoke, severing the finger of the second goblin. Luckily blood wasn't something factored in this world, else I would have to clean the brass, possibly bronze, ring. Also lucky was how the ring didn't digitalize alongside the corpse, the sounds of shattering glass repeating itself a few seconds later.

I tapped on the ring, looking over its stats. It had a somewhat low durability and offered a +3 to defense. It wasn't much, but it would do for the time being. I slipped it onto my right pointer, adjusting the material of my fingerless glove to accommodate it.

"Asasaki! Are you okay?" Issin burst out from between two bushes, leaves and twigs sticking out from his clothing.

"Yeah. I was able to break through their offense and work my way through them. I even got a ring out of it." I flashed the item, moving my hand so that the false sun glinted off it.

I heard a gurgling sound from behind me that gave way to an explosion of data. Issin didn't seem like he knew how to respond. "That's good. What does it do?"

"Slightly increases my defense stat. Hey, you think these things automatically resize? Harry or Dale might be able to use it." I tapped on the ring once more, thoroughly reading its descriptions. Underneath the image of the item, on the bottom left of its panel, was a line of red text. "What does «Bound» mean?"

"It means that you can't trade it anymore. It's locked to whoever has it equipped. That's kind of lucky. But aren't we supposed to get another ring from this quest line?" Issin tilted his head, processing the information.

"Something like that. Damage and Speed values I think?" I stepped towards the other source of damage in our group, stretching my arms. "Did you guys come across anything? You look like you got into a fight."

"If by fight you mean running my body through all kinds of branches to try and back you up, then yeah." He let out a short laugh at that, guiding me back to the main path. "Harry and Dale should be on their way. They told me to go on ahead."

I poked Issin's side, digging my finger a little into his rib. "You should run more. I know this world is basically ruled by numbers, but if your mind thinks it can handle it you can do things better than normal. Like breathing." I backed away, smirking at him. "Maybe I should start waking you all up at o five thirty for a nice morning run. Get your stamina all up."

"Please don't." His face fell, paling a little. I had to wonder whether the him in the real world would actually have done that, or if this world was enhancing expressions.

"Too late. Anytime we're in a city I'm «Following» you all down and forcing you to run. I need partners anyway." I spun around, slowly marching towards the hamlet. "How far were you guys anyway when I sent that message?"

"We were only in the forest for a couple minutes. They should be catching up to us soon." I responded with a simple "okay", moving my sheath into my hands to rest my back against a tree.

"You guys missed all the action! I got a ring out of!" I waved to the duo with my right hand, hoping they'd noticed the dull metal. Dale stopped when he saw me, hunching over and resting his hands on his knees.

"Did you need to drink any potions?" Harry jogged the rest of the way over to Issin and me, eyes looking to his upper left. I imagine he was looking at my health bar in the party section of our interface.

"Nah. I managed to get the drop on them and turn the fight around. They fell pretty easily once I got two of them «Stunned»." I pushed off the tree, swinging my sheath back on. "To the hamlet, right? Oh, and Dale? Don't bend over like that. You put pressure on your lungs and can't get as much air that way." The big guy raised a hand in acknowledgement, standing back up relatively straight.

"Yeah. We're calling it quits for the day. We can't do anything else safely without restocking." Harry started walking, Issin waiting for Dale and me to follow before trailing after.

"Could you guys buy me some extra potions? I don't know if I'll have enough money to get what I'll need." I patted Dale's arm, mentioning that I'd be willing to chip in once I figured out what I could sell.

It seemed that we were the first to arrive at the «Charbroiled Boar» this time, even for NPC's. Not entirely surprising, considering it was only around 3 in the afternoon. Harry and Issin got to work putting the tables together, pulling out a seat for me.

"Should we split our loot now or wait for Klein's group to get back?" Harry started unequiping his gear, leaving only his sword at his side.

"I say we split our loot between the four of us if we plan on keeping our groups the same for tomorrow, anyway. Splitting as a whole might not be a bad idea though if one groups prefers one task over the other." I ordered the same tea from earlier, basking in its scent.

"I'm with Asasaki. Let's split the items now. If Klein thinks we should divide it up as a whole we can always do that later." Dale started materializing the furs, separating one bag from the other four.

"I'm holding onto my «Rough Fur» though. At least until the end when we all finish up." I materialized my nineteen «Ragged Fur», moving them into groups of four and leaving an extra group of three. "So I've been wondering. The quest is asking for leather, but the furs are counting as that. You think the final product will be leather based or treated skins with the fur still on?"

"I think they might end up being plain leather, but it'd be nice if we had the option. Might act as warm gear if we end up going someplace cold." Harry dropped the four sacks he had in front of him, putting a separate bag to his right.

"Plain leather sounds right, if that's what the quest is asking for. Couldn't we just go ask the quest giver though?" Issin tossed out his five bags, separating them a little when Harry gave him a pointed look.

"I suppose I could go find out. I still need to figure out if the NPC's here will even buy the items I have." I swiped open my menu, tapping over to my inventory. My first box contained my combat items: potions, edibles, the lesser quality sword I no longer needed. In my second box were all the items I had collected. The pollen, petal fragment, and roots from the lilies, bones and uncooked meat from the boars. It was a little annoying how low the stacking was. The meat capped at twelve, and the bones didn't pile at all.

"You can go ahead if you want. We'll just wait here for now. Might go head back to the room we're renting out and take a nap if they don't get back soon." I downed my drink and stood up, waving a hand as I headed back out. As I exited, I heard Harry start once again on the topic of whether we should give the «Rough Fur» to the damage dealers or tanks.

I took a deep breath once the door closed behind me. Even though I knew this world was completely false, I couldn't help but partake of the fresh air, drenched in the scent of earth and wood. Knowing that the only danger was from that which I could see made it all the better.

In the center of this hamlet was a stone well, a roof made from bundled reeds resting atop treated wood. I couldn't help but wonder how long this place would have been around in the real world. Was the current population only in the third or fourth generation? Or would the inhabitants have been around for centuries, living their lives out in relative peace.

I kicked at the dirt, smoothing it over after a beat. I knew I needed the drops from the mandrakes. There were the pinecones, the bundles of reeds from the river, the branches. The only things I could sell were the bones, meat, and «Slumbering Lily» items. "Oh right. Also those logs." I materialized one of them. No special text or anything for them. Just a «Common Log», likely a single piece from each time the «Livid Boar» slammed into a tree.

I headed towards the «Apothecary», deciding to use around 700 of my current funds on getting potions. I had a greater appreciation for how much Klein helped me out, but he was likely out hunting at least every other day while I was wandering the «Town».

"Good afternoon." I looked around the shop. Nothing much had changed since I had last been here. The store owner was likely busy though, based on the sound of bubbling concoctions.

I walked up to the counter, wrinkling my nose at the assault of smells. All that was missing was the scent of decomposition and I would have said this room was shrouded in death.

"Yes, yes, welcome, welcome." An aged woman stepped out from behind the curtain of stone beads. "Hello, my dear. What poison are you looking for?" She smiled, massaging her hands.

"Do you actually sell poisons or is that a joke of the trade?" I dug a finger into the grooves of the wood, still acclimating to the stench.

"Of course, of course. The hunters love my crafts. Makes their jobs a lot easier." I looked up at her, taking in her appearance. I couldn't see what was underneath her stained off-white robe, but a myriad of objects were sticking out of the various pockets sewn on the outside.

"You seem different from the others here," I trailed off, wondering why she seemed so much more "alive" than other NPC's.

"I do not come from around here. My home is someplace far away. Perhaps you will go there someday." She grinned toothily at me. I had the oddest impression she just shared a private joke.

"Perhaps." I materialized the «Slumbering Lily» items and bones from the boars. "Is there anything you can do with these?" She opened the bags, muttering to herself as she sorted the items.

"I can make you two curatives for paralysis and one minor restoration of health. I would ask the owner of the «Charbroiled Boar» to make you some tea from these «Petal Fragments». It's quite delicious, though I would not drink it this evening. It will keep you up, contrary to the «Lily's» normal behavior." I responded with a simple hum, wondering why the subtle emphasis on those keywords bothered me so much.

"Will you be requiring additional payment as well or are you fine with just the items?" I tapped on the bag icon next to the box showing how much Cor I had, ready to divulge a requested amount.

"I can accept a reduced price if you give me all your «Pollen». There will be some leftovers that I can use in other potions." I handed over the relevant items, putting the «bones» and «Petal Fragments» back into my inventory. The lady walked back into her presumable workshop, telling me that it wouldn't take too long.

As I waited, I headed over to the potions rack towards the front, taking four «Minor Health Potions» into my arms and setting them down on the counter. After a few minutes the brewer returned, holding one red potion and two muted yellow potions. "And the four minor restorations as well?" I nodded, handing over 600 cor for the pre-made potions.

I thanked her for her time and headed out to find the rest of the quest givers. "Before you go," I stopped and turned around, straining to hear her over the bubbling. "If you ever find yourself in a place called «Collinia», you should head to the church there and tell them old lady Hilde sends her regards." I nodded after a moment, closing the door behind me.

"Guess I'll see what we can do with those «Rough Furs». I headed west, following the signs along a winding trail that lead to the leather maker's workshop. I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted. "Anybody here?!"

The door to the main building opened, and a thin male, probably no older than his mid-teens stepped out, lowering the cloth around his lower face. "Hi, how can I help you?"

I took in his appearance, wondering if he was the son of the quest giver we had talked to. "Do you know about the commission a handful of people asked for earlier today?" It wasn't exactly truthful to call it a commision, but I wasn't sure how he'd respond if I called it a quest.

"Oh, yes. Were they able to gather all the materials?" I looked to the side, examining the wooden tanning set up braced against a tree.

"Not quite. But we did come across the furs and skin of a large boar. Do you know if that's suitable for the work?" I drew my sword and raised it to the sky, trying to emphasis how big it was.

"Oh wow, you guys came across the giant boars? I'm jealous. The products we get from those are really high quality. Only highly sharpened steel can cut those, and even then they don't get all the way through. Since you guys are requesting armor, you should probably get enough standard skin, and then we can use any higher quality materials to enhance the final product. We could also just use them alone, but it's up to you guys." He flashed a smile. "My name is Jakob by the way." He extended a hand in greeting.

"Asasaki. We'll probably be back around tomorrow or the day after that. We were having trouble with the bigs ones but now that we have experience with them it should go better the next time around." I wrinkled my nose when the scent of worked leather passed over me. It was good to know that this world held some adherence to the workings of reality.

I waved good bye and started heading back the path, leisurely strolling and enjoying the birdsong. Once upon a time I was able to distinguish the various patterns and general meanings of their calls, but it was a skill that had faded with age.

"You really love nature, dontcha?" I lolled my head over towards Klein, realizing I had taken purchase on a stump that lined the path.

"Considering most of my previous years consisted of sand, rocks, buildings, and hey, look! Another rock!" I pointed at a random stone, plastering false glee on my face, "Can I be faulted for basking in all this greenery?" I gestured around, leaning back on my hands.

"Everybody's already gathered. We're going to eat first then discuss the quests afterwards. Have you already eaten?" Mr. Scruffles offered me a hand, one I took on principle.

"Not yet. I was asking some of the quest givers about some stuff. If we want to get higher quality armor, we should treat furs from the «Livid Boars» as add-ons and not substitutes." I led the way, keeping a somewhat clipped pace. "How did your experience with that boar go, anyway?"

"Eh. Not too great. Dynamm and I didn't have the health or defenses to go more than a single round. Choryu brought up the idea of one of us acting as bait and using the trees for it to slam into, but none of us thought we would be able to pull it off." I gave a hum in response, turning my head slightly towards him. "We tried to use our shields and swords to block, hell, even Kunimittz had to help out for a bit. It took a couple minutes before we got it down. Sucks that it only gave like forty cor. A monster that big should drop more than that!" Klein made a face, clenching his fists in protest.

"Didn't it drop at least four slabs of meat though?" I interjected dryly.

"Okay, fine, I _guess_ that it's probably worth the effort to get it to spawn. Speaking of which, how come it didn't spawn out in the fields yesterday?" I smiled softly at the scratching sound I heard from him.

"My guess is that the «Livid Boars» are either quest locked or region locked. Could you imagine if a «Livid Boar» spawned outside the town walls? Imagine how many players would die to that." I thrust my chest forward, calling upon the mediocre acting skills I would display from time to time to poke fun at companions. "Legends say that the monster killed so many players that day, the developers gave future iterations a random chance to have the name of " _Barry_ "."

I froze in my bent position, eyes narrowed as I held my hands before me in a vague tusk shape. When Klein burst out laughing I considered it a success and continued walking.

"But why Barry?" He eventually managed, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

"It's a story from an old game. Apparently a player by the name of "Barry" managed to leave an enhanced variant of a common monster in its enraged state. It took down some thirty players or so before it got killed."

"Wait, that actually happened?" I spun around, walking backwards as I talked.

"We have the internet. If you can imagine it, it's probably happened somewhere in some desolate corner of cyberspace." I twirled to face forward leading us towards the «Charbroiled Boar». "I give it a week before I get tired of boars from this place," I said, pushing the door open. "Boar Meat, Boar quests, Boar buildings. They need to stop pigging out on it, stop beating a dead horse." I hummed a little ditty at Klein's snickers, reveling in the emotion.

I pulled my own seat out before anybody could get it for me and ordered another cup of tea. "Find anything useful?" Harry asked.

I looked up at him and nodded. "I got an extra health potion with some of the drops from those «Slumbering Lilies» and bought four more just in case. As for the «Furs», we can use them by themselves, but if we bring in enough «Ragged Fur» they can use any «Rough Fur» we have to enhance the final product."

"That explains why they counted as normal fur. Did you figure out whether they'll be plain leather or with fur?" I let out a huff of air, massaging my forehead.

"Slipped my mind. But considering that we can decide whether or not we can have that extra bit of leather on the armor I feel like we change the final product." I tapped open the ordering menu, purchasing a single piece of meat and an assortment of fruits and vegetables.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Whenever conversation turned to the quests, Klein would ask that it was held off until after everybody finished. "I think I'm addicted to this stuff now," I joked, ordering a refill.

"Is it that good?" Dale asked me, looking at his own wooden cup.

"It's an acquired taste. It's fairly bitter but the smell grew on me. Better than plain water at least," I told him. When everybody finished eating, Klein stood up, having engaged serious mode.

"I think we can all agree that the Plant collection line was fairly easy, and that aside from the «Vernal Mandragora» we don't really need to talk about it. Aside from that, everybody alright if we move right on to talking about how to deal with the «Goblinoid Extermination» and «Leather Collection» quests?" Klein received a round of agreement.

"Two issues for that. For the Goblins, our group was really unlucky in being able to find them. I took a look at the available «Skills». There's one called «Searching» that should help us out. It does exactly what the name implies and outlines certain things that you're looking for. Since I hit level 6 today I was planning on grabbing it for our side. Asasaki already filled her third slot so somebody else will need to grab it for your team."

I raised my hand, waiting for acknowledgement before speaking. "I've done tracking in real life, so I was able to find a few trails. It might not be as efficient as a System Assisted action, but our group doesn't need to worry about it for the time being."

"It gave us time to just relax while we waited. I think we should definitely have somebody else grab it though, just to be safe." Harry stood up when he spoke, arms crossed.

"As for the «Livid Boar», the three of us aside from Choryu had to down a potion. We took attacks head on by blocking, but even with that we were still getting hit pretty hard." Klein scratched his chin, his left hand resting on his hip.

"Little Miss Developer solo'd one of those bad boys all on her own." I countered Issin's grin with a pointed look, ignoring the pointed finger he was directing at me.

"Inherent dodging ability and probably my Dex stat let me play chicken with it. It took a few attempts, but I was able to make it stun itself by crashing into trees. From there I'd climb on top of it and attack its vitals. Neck, ribs, head. Places like that." I waved a hand dismissively, not thinking my actions that impressive.

"Did you ever get hit by it?" Klein stared at me intently.

"No. It tried a few times to crush me against a tree, but I was able to get off each time." Klein turned his gaze to Choryu, the former office worker staring at me with admiration.

"I'd ask if you feel comfortable trying that out, but with you still being level four I don't feel safe with it." When Choryu snapped out of his hero worship, he began expressing his thanks, apologizing for not being able to step up to the plate.

"I know it's only Six or so, but we should try and get an early sleep. We might need more rest time if things go the same way tomorrow." As with yesterday, our group slowly filtered out, leaving Klein, Harry, and me sitting around.

After a few minutes of silence Harry bid us good night.

"Hey, Asasaki. Mind going for a walk with me?" I nodded in response, sipping the last of my tea. Slowly he led me towards the «Forest of Tranquility», crickets and other insects taking the place of bird calls.

"Harry told me you had some issues with the group today. Nothing confrontational, but that you were spacing out where you should have been paying attention." I took a look around at the clearing we stopped in, recognizing it as the same place I had used for some closure with my late companion.

"I was just remembering some things. I'll make sure not to lose attention in the future." I leaned against the tree, lit up by the false stars. Even the way the beam shone through the leaves was the same.

"Issin mentioned how brutal you were with those goblins. How you cut off the finger from a goblin to get that ring." I couldn't see his expression, but I imagined it was either slowly steeling or highly concerned.

"It was one against three. If I wasted time with sword skills or body shots, it might have gone worse. Fights can be decided by a single move, it's better to make the first one count." It was a little weird having this conversation with a civilian. There were just some things you couldn't explain to somebody who had never experienced it before. You could give them an inkling of what you truly meant, but they would never be able to fully grasp it.

"And what about that ring?"

"Their armor wouldn't fit and their weapons were shoddier than mine. The ring at least could be used as a necklace if it wouldn't fit." I calmed my breathing, faceless figures starting to appear through my closed eyes.

"Hey, Asasaki, are you okay?" I took a deep, shuddering breath, grasping Klein's forearm.

"No. You brought up some unpleasant memories. I'll be fine, but I'll need a couple minutes." I forced a small smile, tugging him gently to sit next to me.

"I'm sorry." I leaned against him, hugging his arm.

"You couldn't know. Don't worry too much about it. But yes, I do tend to go for killing and crippling blows if I don't need to worry about apprehending my targets. It's easier and safer for those around me if I can end fights as soon as possible." I looked up, focusing on how the leaves swayed gently in the breeze.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. The memories you brought up I've already dealt with, it's just the nightmares that refuse to go away I'm dealing with. Eventually they'll go away, but for now I get to deal with the occasional sleepless night. Don't blame yourself for this. It'd happen soon or later." I closed my eyes, basking in his warmth. It was likely that I was going too far, but he didn't seem to mind that I was taking advantage of his presence. We sat there in silence for several minutes, perhaps even an hour. I had lost track while I dealt with the assortment of corpses, some detailed, others mere shadows.

"We should head back. Even if you aren't going to sleep tonight, at least you should be someplace safe." Klein moved to stand, and I let myself be pulled up with the motion.

"Sorry for using you like that. I'd rather not have dealt with it by myself." I materialized my sword, fondly displaying it towards him. "This was my friend's, you know. Sheath and all. An «Iron Sword 1S». He went for the sword upgrade while I went for the boots." I held my breath for a few seconds, forcing myself to remain coherent. "Most of those first few days all we did were quests around the «Town» and moved on to hunting «Boars» outside the walls. It's how we got so much Cor. But after he passed I stayed inside the walls. It was too soon for me, considering what happened IRL." I forced myself to walk forward, clenching the iron contained in ivory in my left hand.

Klein didn't say anything, merely following after me. I imagined he was having a hard time processing everything, making connections that may or may not have been correct.

"You should go to bed first. I think I'm going to end up making too much noise if I try to sleep now. Wouldn't want to keep you up." I gave an apologetic smile, promising not to stay up too late.

I sat down, back against the wall of the well. "You would have loved them, Satoru." I shifted, making myself a little more comfortable. "You probably would've been great friends." I took another breath, bracing myself for the downpour of memories I had been holding back. "I hope I'm making you guys proud." I closed my eyes, resting my head against my knees.

* * *

Next chapter should be up July 7th-8th


	4. Linear Procession

_I had a lot of fun writing this towards the end, at least with the combat scenes. I was fulling planning to go through with Asasaki's desires, but when I started writing it just came out a different way. More notes regarding some reflection at the end._

* * *

A groan emanated from my throat when I woke. In the process of dealing with the botched tapestry of life last night, I had forgotten to move into the stables. My health was hovering around 60% and I had a status effect labeled «Hypothermia: Light». "Yup. Real proud," I mumbled, letting out a slew of half formed curses and grumbles as I stretched out the kinks in my body.

I picked up my sword, sending it back into my inventory before starting off on a few laps around the hamlet. My clock interface, located underneath my map window on my upper left, informed me it was around 5:50. The sky was slowly changing from purple and black, the artificial light simulating morning twilight.

"Didn't I threaten people yesterday?" I flicked open my menu, tapping over to the «Friends» section. During our meals I had gone through the process of adding everybody to my list, familiarizing myself with that aspect of the interface. Deciding it would be best to start off with Klein, I activated the «Track» function, walking towards the inverted yellow triangle over the hay filled room we were sharing with Choryu.

I knelt beside Mr. Scuffles, wondering how I should go about waking him up. Deciding that kicking him awake would be cruel and unusual, I settled for covering his nose and mouth with a hand.

"Morning, Sleepy head!" I waved cheerfully when he shot up, using the smile as a cover for the toothy grin I wanted to show. "Bright new day! Goblins to kill, Boars to run away from, Plants to harvest. Go get the others ready, okay?" I tapped his forehead, standing up.

"Is this going to be a daily occurrence?" He asked groggily.

"If we have a late night, I'll be sure to give you at least seven hours of sleep, maybe three or four if we're busy with something." I waved once more as I left, heading into the «Charbroiled Boar».

"Mornin'. It's a little surprising seeing somebody from the «Town» getting up so early." I looked over at the NPC running the pub, returning his greeting.

"It's best if we have an early start to the day. There's only so much light we can work with," I explained, pulling out eight «Boar Meat». "Is there anything you could do with these?" I handed one of the sacks over, wondering if all unworked items would appear as bags.

"Mm, yes. I can cook these up for you, for a slight cost. Cheaper than buying them outright, of course." I handed over the stated cor, asking that he hold off on cooking them until at least four others arrived.

"It's official. Little miss ninja-developer is also a masochist." Issin waved with his other hand as he covered a yawn, resting his head on the table when he got to his seat.

"Little miss ninja is also helping provide for breakfast this morning, so be nice," I countered, telling him to make sure he ordered something on the side. "Sleep well?"

"About as well as I could sleeping on hay. What I'd do for a nice memory foam mattress."

"I think quilted straw is about the best you'll get around here. Remember that at its core this is still a medieval based world, so finding something like that will probably have to be player made." I sipped at my water, eyeing the door for the others to arrive.

"Then I'll figure out what skills I need to create that bed! I'll save up enough money to buy a house and make all the furniture as comfortable as possible!" Issin raised a fist in the air, riding on the emotional high of his dream.

"When you do, remember to sell me stuff at a discount for giving you the spark to invent that." The two of us shared a smile, greeting Kunimittz and Dynamm when they entered.

"Asasaki, you're a sadist." I rested my head on my hand, eyes curling with glee as I met Kunimittz' gaze.

"I'm not the one that woke you up, though. Plus, even if this is virtual reality, you should still treat it like the real thing. Which means waking with the sun!" I flashed a V sign, grinning.

"Which means sleeping until two hours before I need to leave for something," Issin countered.

"And I need you at the crack of dawn. It's not like I can take blows, after all. Somebody has to be the decoy." I nudged Issin with a foot, grin turning true as I surrounded myself in the camaraderie.

"Gee, how charming. You must be a riot at parties."

"Don't be too upset, Kuni. I'll make sure to split the drops fairly. And if I get some extra cash on the side, I'll help chip in for supplies." I waved his concerns off, taking another sip. "What about you, Dynamm? Have anything to add?"

"I'm treating you like an annoying employee that I have to cover for after working night shift. I hate you with all my heart and am waiting for you to screw up somewhere so I can report you to my supervisor and get you fired."

I pressed my knuckles to my mouth, holding in my laughter. "What if I said I was good at getting people to sign up for our rewards program?"

"I'd still be irritated with you." He turned his head to face back down, resting on his arms.

"I promise I'll make it up to you," I assauged, opening my menu to make a note about it.

"Consider the favor paid if we get at least two of us outfitted with enhanced gear." I looked up at Klein, the «Curved Sword» user yawning as he sat down, Choryu taking seat across from him. "Harry and I were thinking that we'll save the leather collection to do as a group. It might take relatively longer, but we can rotate people to deal with the «Livid Boars»."

"So who should take care of which quest first?" Issin raised his head, propping it on both hands.

"I was talking it over with Harry, and we're thinking that my group should head off into the «Wandering Woods». I can level up my «Searching» skill that way while you guys grind the «Vernal Mandragora». When we finish or it starts getting close to noon, we'll meet up back here for lunch and head off to take care of the «Livid Boars» as a group. After that we'll either take a break for the remainder of the day, probably sparring or practicing our sword skills. It might be too late go head out and finish off the collection and tracking quests." Dale and Harry walked in as Klein spoke, taking the last two seats.

"Doing it the other way around wouldn't be a bad idea either, but if Klein's group does the tracking portion first, he can start leveling up his skill today as opposed to later on." I waved at the owner as Harry spoke, giving a grateful nod when he moved over to the grill to start cooking.

"Let me know if you notice anything while you're using that skill. Might help me out tomorrow when it's my turn to hunt." I placed an order for the usual tea, remembering to ask the chef to try out the «Lily Petal Fragments» later today.

Little conversation happened during breakfast. Apparently while Klein and I were having our conversation last night, the others had pooled their gold together to buy potions. When Harry and Dale started passed them out, I handed two potions of my own over to my secondary damage soaker.

"Happy hunting, guys." Klein's party headed off first, the rest of my group deciding to try out the tea I had been constantly ordering.

"Eugh, wow. You were not joking about that bitter thing." Issin made a face, recoiling away. I took a sip, motioning my cup towards him.

"Should smell it. Not sure if it'll help the taste, but if nothing else it's a nice way to relax." The three of them took a sniff, expressing some form of bewilderment before inhaling once more.

"I don't know if I'd get it all the time, but I certainly see why you like it. What I'd do for a nice cup of coffee though." Harry stared at his drink, swirling it around.

"Coffee sounds great right about now. Think we'll be able to find it on one of the upper floors?" Issin took another sip, eyeing the cup longingly.

"I wouldn't be surprised. There's 100 floors here. There's bound to be at least two or three unique items for each one." I downed my cup, looking through my quest log. "You know, it looks like I only need three more «Mandragora Fronds». I'm one over for the other two items."

"We'll see what we need to do after our first hunt then. We need to check the spawn rate anyway. We only hit up that location twice after all." Harry stood up, equipping all his gear. "I'll meet you guys on the trail."

"It'll be nice once I hit level six today. I think I'll get the «Guard» skill next." Dale closed out of his menu, adjusting the straps of his sword.

"Weren't you planning on getting «Battle Healing» too?" Issin asked, downing the rest of his tea.

"Yeah. But since we have to level it up while our hp is in the red, I think I'd be better off trying to raise my defensive abilities first." The two started heading out after moving the other tables back to their original spots. "Plus, if I'm going to be on the front lines I can get started on leveling the skill up."

I materialized a handful of cor from my pouch, clinking them on the table as I left. I wasn't sure how the NPC's would handle tips, but I imagined that at least this far away from urbanized areas they wouldn't take too much offense.

* * *

"Same strategy as last time then? I take care of a mandrake and then we pile on whatever remains?" We stopped a few feet away from the clearing, Harry having gone to take a peek at what lay ahead.

"If that's what they end up as, probably. What took you so long, anyway?" Issin leaned towards me, fists resting on his waist.

"I got distracted by nature," I said, growly quietly at Issin's disbelieving look. "I like my walks, okay? My family would go camping every couple of weeks when I was a child."

"Sounds pretty nice. And I think I can understand a little bit about why you go for killing blows. I'm guessing you probably did actual hunting?" Dale turned to look at me, uncrossing his arms.

"Mhm. Sometimes I'd do simple noose or rock traps, hunting with a bow and arrow, experimented with a sling and slingshots. Once I grew older I started using a hunting rifle. You learned to make your shots count after the first few times you had to mercy kill your target." I pulled down on my tunic, smoothing out some of the wrinkles.

"Change of plans. There's only two «Vernal Mandragora» this time around. Asasaki, work with Dale to take down the one on the left. Issin, we'll pull ours to the northern half of the clearing. Remember to keep their attention opposite each other. Wouldn't want them to take pot shots at the other group." Harry drew his sword, keeping it pointed downward as he led us to our marks.

"I guess I'll follow up on your lead," I told Dale. Even though I've been with this party for a day or two, I had relatively little experience team fighting with them.

"I'll be tanking it's leaf barrage attack. It's capable of attacking all those nearby with its roots, not just a single person, so keep an eye out for that. Oh right, you'll need to be farther away than me in order for me to get the targeting. If you end up being targeted, remember to run away from me so I can move in to attack safely."

I sounded off, mockingly saluting him.

"We'll be going in first. Good luck, guys." Harry and Issin broke off, circling around the clearing to the north side. They took a page out of my book, Issin using a few rocks to drag their «Mandragora» over to them.

"Looks like that's our cue. I'll be right behind you." I drew my sword, shifting from foot to foot.

"Start off with a few rocks to grab its attention before its moves over to Harry." Dale started moving up, sword held before him with both hands.

"No problem." I knelt down and scooped up a few pebbles, flinging them between the mandrake's eye folds. For a blunt, improvised weapon, I counted the 3% damage they dealt each as a critical hit.

"I'm starting to think Issin's right about you being a developer. You're too good at this!" Dale charged in, screaming a war cry. The purplish-red and green plant bent back, revealing a gaping maw of darkness. The plant leaned forward, bud unfurling to reveal a core of light that was charging up.

"Just think of them like humans! If it'd hurt you, it'd probably hurt them!" I split off to the right, mirroring Dale's advance. A series of rings shot out from the plant's head, pulsating as they traveled. I drove my blade through its upper arm, redirecting the momentum to circle into a slice on its torso before running away.

The creature slowly righted itself, a single line of disturbed earth burrowing towards me. I dodged the piercing root with a backstep, slicing through it as I dashed forward. As I ran up its body, twisting to jam my sword into its right "eye", I couldn't help but wonder exactly what it would do if it ever managed to catch me in its roots. Likely it would squeeze me or scratch me up. Worst case scenario, it would slowly damage me while it prepared for a ranged attack.

I kicked off its face, rolling on my right shoulder as I landed to create some more distance. When I fixed my orientation, I watched as Dale braced his sword in front of him, wincing in preparation for the stream of leaves.

When the «Mandragora» started to unwind, I ran back in, taking a knee and bracing my sword to let its spinning motion do the work of driving my blade through its leafy kilt. When it's attack stopped, I pulled myself up using one of the petals as a handhold, stabbing my blade through its other eye.

"Incoming!" I looked around for the attack, realizing I wouldn't be able to evade the plant's right arm.

I withdrew my weapon, flinging it away to prevent accidental damage when I landed. Something in my mind clicked as I flew through the air. I knew how to perform a kip up, but I wasn't sure if I could ordinarily do what my body was commanding me to do. I curled mid-air, arms coiling as I landed head first and launching me back onto my feet. "Unarmed!" I yelled, noticing that I had lost only 7% of my hp, a stark contrast to the 30% I had taken last time around..

"Roots!" True to Dale's call, a single tuber started making its way towards me. Without a weapon, all I could do was dodge and try to reclaim my sword.

Oddly, it seemed that if I didn't stand still and dodge during that brief moment between its stopping and appearance, it would continue to follow me. "How annoying," I hissed, cutting it as it shot out of the earth. The sound something heavy slamming into the ground reached my ears. When I looked behind, I realized that the «Vernal Mandragora» was preparing for an enhanced root attack

I dodged each one with a side step, slashing through the three of them with a «Rage Spike». "You are seriously starting to bore me," I turned my attention back to the mandrake, firing off a «Sonic Leap». The attack landed on the very bottom of my spin, my momentum throwing me past it. "Leaf barrage this, root attack that, arm grab here, screech attack there. Show some variance, damn you!"

In the corner of my vision I saw Dale's health dip a significant amount. After recovering from the «Post Motion» I discovered that he had blocked a leaf blade attack from the right arm. I personally felt that he should have dodged, but I supposed he didn't have the numbers to do that safely.

I took a quick breath, waiting for the root attack to start before running back in. I dashed left, orbiting with the creature's turn to slice off its arm. The frond it was holding slunk into the ground, derezzing after a few moments.

I pulled myself back on it, jamming my sword into its stalk. Idly, I heard Dale suggest that I get off, but I ignored it in favor of wriggling my blade around. When its body started twitching, I kicked off, moving behind my partner.

"Looks like we only have 20% to go," I said, minimizing my profile when the plant uncoiled. "Shouldn't you try and dodge at least some of it? Better than taking," I shot out, angling to leap onto its face, "all of the leaves, isn't it?!" I stuck my blade into its right eye fold, changing my grip to wrench it upwards as I pushed off. As I soared through the air, I watched Dale unleash a «Vertical» and «Slant» along its body and dress, backing cautiously after the attacks landed.

The «Mandragora» flumped back onto the ground, releasing a trio of roots each at Dale and I. Our combined attacks on our respective roots left the plant with a sliver of health left, something I took care with another «Sonic Leap», leaning back when I started it to make it a linear attack instead of spiraling.

"Few more hits on theirs and we're good!" Dale charged past me, unleashing a «Rage Spike». I added my own, feeling a sense of glee when Issin landed his attack around the same time as me.

"Is it just me or did that seem a little harder than our previous attempts?" Harry asked once the sound of pixelating data faded.

"I feel like its attack pattern changed a little bit. It might be because we had two dedicated fighters this time instead of having somebody swap out, that or it's a special case for them spawning in a group of two as opposed to three." Dale chugged down a potion, looking in his upper left anxiously.

"We got a lot of materials from that," I mumbled, looking through my after action screen. I separated the excess materials into my third box, wondering if all monsters would drop items relevant to the attacked locations.

"What's up?" Issin stepped closer towards me, exiting out of his own windows.

"I got a lot of materials out of that. Two «Vernal Fruit», three «Fronds», and six or so «Bitter Roots», and that's after topping off my own requirements." I contemplated materializing the items to trade but decided against it, figuring that it would be safer to do it back at the hamlet.

"I'm about the same, aside from the «Bitter Roots». Guess that's something we should remember to tell Harry's group. Attacking the roots that sprout up give one «Bitter Root» for each on attacked." Dale hummed, looking over at Harry.

"I think we have enough items for everybody now. Do you guys wanna head over to the «Wandering Woods» and try to meet up with Klein's group?" Our shield user sent his empty vial to his inventory, tapping over to something else.

"If we do, I'll run ahead and try to find a goblin trail or two. Who knows, maybe I'll even be able to beat Klein's «Tracking» skill," I said with a smile.

"No offense, Asasaki, but I don't think you'll be able to beat something assisted by the System." Issin chuckled as he massaged my shoulders with his hands. "Then again, Little Miss Developer probably knows all the ways to get around the system because of real life. Gotta have as many references as possible, right?"

I grumbled and shrugged his hands off. "Get me a needle, a few spools of thread, some good cloth, and I'll show you beating the system. I'll have you know I made Halloween costumes for my younger cousins!" I pointed my sword in his direction, making sure my smile wasn't too threatening.

"I sent a message to Klein, letting him know that we're going to try and meet up with them ahead of time. You can go ahead if you want to, Asasaki." Harry had to speak up over Dale and Issin's chuckles, the latter being significantly more nervous about it.

"I'll let you know if I find anything useful. No promises on whether or not I'll let you guys in on the fun though." I headed off with a wave, moving into a light jog. The trip past the hamlet was quiet. The ambiance of the forest blended in with my foot falls, and I only realized how far I had gone when the text box «Wandering Woods» appeared in my vision.

#Tracking. Don't panic when I find you.# I opened up my «Friends List», summoning a marker on my map to guide me towards Klein. I slowed down my pace to a walk, keeping an eye out for any signs of travel. "You seem different," I muttered to myself, crouching down to look at a large footprint. The markings seemed like it was made from a fully covered foot, not just a cloth wrapped or bare appendage. I followed the trail, realizing that the boot was accompanied by three individual sets.

#Three goblins, with larger monster. Gathering info.# I closed out of my messaging system to Harry, pressing forward with caution. It was safe to assume that the higher quality gear was due to something stronger than normal goblins, if not a few levels higher than a goblinoid of another species.

The clearing came into view, and instead of seeing bipeds I found large winged insects easily dwarfing me, my full body barely equally the center of their thorax. "Shit." The trio of insects were level five, and I doubted that even a two handed sword block could fully stand up their charge.

I slowly backed away, hoping conditions were favorable. When their antennae started twitching, I knew I only had moments to react. "Fucking hell!" I jolted up and started sprinting, taking the shortest path towards what was probably my closest allies.

I dared not look behind, the sound of buzzing wings never far behind, not even for a moment. So long as I kept one foot in front of the other, eyes pulling me along the trail and body keeping myself from tripping over anything, I would probably survive. I put on another burst of speed when familiar labels appeared in my vision, drawing my blade as I slid past Klein. "Shields up! Swords ready! Wasps approaching!"

"What are you-" Klein looked from me to the following insects, struck dumb by shock for a moment before calling out orders. "Dynamm, Kunimittz, with me! Choryu, Asasaki, wait for us to get their attention before attacking!"

We moved into a loose fleur de lis formation, Klein in the front center with Dynamm on his left. "Block their attack, Rear, from the sides!" Our forwards raised their defenses, blocking the stingers as best as they could. In the brief moment I had before I acted, I saw their health dip at least 8%.

I danced around Kunimittz, bringing my sword up at the base of his «Giant Wasp's» stinger before reversing its momentum back down into a «Vertical». The raven haired male, pushing blue, shoved his opponent away before driving his weapon into its stinger with a stab. Those attacks alone took some 24% of its health away, but it seemed to be enough to drive the creature off.

With Klein, he had managed to deflect the flying insect's attack over him, landing a two handed «Slant» on its wings as it passed, dropping it to the ground and dealing an incredible 20% damage with the single strike. I instinctively followed up with a «Rage Spike» between the stumps of its wings, slicing another 16% off it.

"Stingers and Wings are its weak points!" Klein yelled. I didn't stop my assault, pulling out my blade as I performed a quick hop and drove my sword through its head with a «Stone Sheath». Its health plummeted to under 10%, and what remained was dribbling away slowly.

"How much you want to bet we can forge something from this?" I asked, hacking away at its stinger. I only got two hits in before it died, but I received a pop up that I had acquired three «Wasp Stinger Fragments» alongside 14 cor. When I stood back up I realized that Klein had moved over to Dynamm and Choryu, his face animated inquiring about their health.

"No, we're fine. I might need to chug a health pot before we deal with the boars, but my defenses held up." Dynamm sheathed his weapons, offering a hand to help our lone «Dagger» user up.

"Where'd those come from, anyway?" It took me a moment to realize Klein was probably talking to me.

"One of the clearings I was investigating had them sitting there. They sensed me somehow and I ran to the closest confirmed source of assistance." I turned off the marker, wondering how much panic they must have had when I shot towards them.

"I'd say you should've given us a warning, but I imagine that would've been hard on the run." Klein folded his arms, directing his full attention on me. "A bit odd that two of them flew away though."

"Not that odd. They chased me for a couple minutes while I was at a dead run. The only reason we managed to kill one was because you dropped it to the ground." I materialized a «Stinger Fragment», pulling it out of the bag. "I bet we could make a dagger or throwing dart out of this," I said, brandishing the shard.

"Doesn't look like it'll be very durable though." Kunimittz leaned in to look at it, measuring it with his fingers. "Maybe if we got a bigger piece we could use it for an actual weapon, but something that small might only be worth a single dart, and I don't think any of us plan on picking that skill up."

"It's odd though because how often is it that the monsters run away? Usually it's the players that flee." Klein closed out of a window, looking around. "That doesn't happen unless it was part of a scripted event."

I gave a long hum, digesting his thought process. "When you put it that way, it makes sense. I was thinking of how in real life, once you get past a certain point, most animals will stop chasing you, either because you're no longer worth the effort of hunting down or you're no long out of their territory." I dismissed the fragment, making a mental note to ask the blacksmith in the hamlet what they could do with the materials.

"We're going to wait here for the others to arrive in case other «Wasps» are in the area. Keep your weapons out just in case, alright guys?" Klein's precaution ended up being unnecessary, several minutes passing in which our tension slipped until the rest of my group rejoined us.

"So Little Miss Developer found and helped kill a group of «Giant Wasps», huh? We sure she didn't just spawn them out of thin air?" Issin moved behind me pulling me into a light headlock and rubbing his knuckles against my head.

"We did see that swarm of wasps a few days ago. There's probably a quest about clearing out their somewhere around the region." I struggled against Issin's grip, mostly ignoring Harry's musings while I debated the merits of actually fighting back.

"Wait, why are you calling her honorable little sister _and_ developer?" I shifted slightly, getting more leverage. Klein's question was one I had thought about a few times, but had chalked it up to a translation issue or a trend I never caught on to. "You know she's the oldest out of all of us, right?"

"She's like only a hundred fifty seven centimeters, that makes her little! And honorable because she's probably the strongest in our group, and I'm willing to bet that she'll be working right alongside Harry in gathering information." I ceased my struggling, taking in Issin's response.

"Thank you for your compliments, but I'm still going to take offense to the first part." The other damage dealer in my party was only able able to give a single questioning sound before I slipped out of the hold, kicking his legs out from underneath him. Before he slammed into the ground, I caught his right arm, tugging roughly to reduce the force of the impact.

"Th-thanks." I took a step back and pulled him back up, winking at him.

"The rest of my HP should recover on the way. I'm ready to head out when you are, Klein." The samurai-hopeful nodded at Dynamm, calling for all of us to start heading out.

"How's your «Searching» coming along?" I asked Klein as we walked. Our group of eight was causing a fair amount of noise, but with no need to be quiet for tracking or hiding purposes I didn't make mention of it.

"I'm still in the single digits, but each time I found a group of goblins I managed to get a level up. At this low level sometimes it'd fizzle out on me and I'd have to wait a couple seconds before I could reactivate it." Klein and I had moved into the center of the ground, our shield users in front while Choryu moved to our very rear.

"We were able to walk alongside him while he was searching. Either we found one or we didn't and any waiting was just for him to get the skill backup." I nodded at Kunimittz' explanation.

"When Asasaki was looking around for tracks we just waited around at the previous location. She told us that it might take some time between each one so we decided it would be better to just wait instead of walking along the trail and potentially going past her." I felt mildly insulted when Dale juxtaposed their experience against Klein's.

"How are we planning on taking care of the boars?" I inquired. At our current pace we'd be back on the fields in around ten minutes.

"I'm thinking we each take one boar each and then have our lowest level players take the last two before regrouping for the «Livid Boar»." Harry cupped his chin. "We should test whether they spawn based on how many got killed in the region or if they're locked to how many parties involved in the quest killed."

"If I remember right, weren't we sitting on two more before we spawned one of the big ones?" Issin raised a finger, leaning forward to meet my gaze.

Klein hemmed and hawed for a few seconds."If that's the case then I guess we'll have my team kill two «Frenzy Boars» first and see what happens from there."

When we stepped out of the trees, I stared up at the ceiling, forcing my eyes to adjust to the artificial light. "Do I have free reign or will you guys be swapping Forward?" I drew my blade, looking back down to see who was going to take care of the test.

"Free reign?" Klein glanced at me, unsheathing his sword.

"As in, am I taking care of it by myself or will we be using a "Block tusks, attack in the interim" strategy?" Choryu side stepped his boar several times, looking over at Harry after each dodge.

"We'll be using a "Block, attack" strategy. If you want to take care of a boar on your own we can let you do that towards the end, but for now let's do this quick and efficient." Harry raised a hand during Klein's response, Choryu slashing his sword through the boar's head.

"And you guys were questioning _my_ brutality?" I deadpanned, slowly moving my gaze towards Harry.

"Your methods are crude, but effective. It'll probably save us a lot of trouble once we figure out the weak points for monsters later on." The black haired shield user jogged forward, taking a stance beside Dynamm.

I sniffed in offense, moving off to the side with Kunimittz. "So what are you going for?" Dale and Harry moved closer up to the spawning circle, Klein and Dynamm flanking them.

"I'm going to attack its side."

"Alright. I'll go for its belly then." We maintained our positions for a few seconds. When it became apparent that the boar wouldn't be spawning, Harry gave me the go ahead to kill two boars.

Like its previous incarnations, a bone shaking roar heralded its arrival. Dale and Harry met its tusks with their sword and shield respectively, digging their feet to stops its movement. The rest of us rushed in and delivered a slash or two, backing off when the boar broke off to circle around.

Klein and Dynamm met the charge next, being pushed back a few feet before we were able go in for an assault. After each attack, we would fall back, letting our forwards be the closest to the «Livid Boar» to prevent it from attacking somebody it wasn't supposed to.

In two more cycles the beast had fallen, and after counting out our drops we had received a total of four «Rough Leather» and three «Uncooked Boar Meat» across the eight of us.

"If I solo a «Livid Boar», I think I'll do it on my own time or if you guys get roughed up too much. My method would take much longer." I stopped in front of Klein, watching his health bar refill after he downed a potion.

"How would you even handle that?" He asked, telling Choyu to take care of an extra boar.

"I'd jump or roll out of the way until I could get the boar to charge into a tree. When it gets stunned I'd make my way on top of it and attack its side, jumping off when it eventually tries to crush me between its body and another tree." I called out for the «Dagger» user to go ahead and take care of mine as well. "Didn't I tell you this before?"

"I think so. Probably last night. You mentioned that your Dex stat was probably what let you get away with it." Klein sat down, right leg folded under his left.

I gave a grunt of acknowledgement, sitting in seiza beside him. "Say we average 15 «Ragged Furs» every ten boars. For eight people we need at least 80, 24, 104 «Furs». How many furs did we get the past two days?" I looked up from the ground, putting my calculations on hold.

"Something like forty or fifty. Harry has your split still, by the way."

"Oh, really? Guess I'll get it out of him when we're done here."

"We're ready for the next one, Klein!" Kunimittz raised his sword above his head as he called out to us. Behind him, Harry was using his shield to keep a «Frenzy Boar» under control.

"Alright! Go ahead and start it!" Klein stood up, offering me a hand. "What if we let you solo the last one before we leave? I wanna see how how you go about it for myself."

I took his hand, drawing my blade when I got to my feet. "Alright. Give me a heads up if you guys decide to help out." The next four «Livid Boar» spawns went by without anything of note. While I still disagreed with the practice of having people take damage when taking none at all was a perfectly viable option, I had to concede the value of being able to consistently allow 75% of our force a free attack or two without any consequence.

"This is boring," I droned, arching my back to crack my spine. "I'm not complaining about the method, but what I'd do for some dynamics in this." I knelt down and picked my blade up, striding over to Klein. "Can I take the next «Livid» by myself?"

"Hm," Klein tabbed through a few windows, checking something. "Yeah. We could use some extra time letting our health restore. Anything we should keep in mind when you take a whack at it?"

"Stay behind the tree line. At least two or three trees. I use them to let the boar stun itself." I started tapping a foot, psyching myself up for the fight.

"Alright. I'll let everybody know. We'll leave the last two «Frenzy Boars» for you to kill." Klein flashed me a grin before jogging off to inform the rest of our group.

I hummed tunelessly to myself, moving farther away from the natural divider of plain and forest. When Klein yelled that I was good to go, I responded by waving my sword in the air before finishing the spawn requirements with a «Rage Spike».

This far away from the tree line, I was only able to make out the retreating figures of Klein and Harry, their arms raised in what was probably a good luck sign. I took a breath, ignoring the roar of the «Livid Boar». It stared at me, and from this far away its size didn't impose much of a threat.

The corner of my lip twitched into a smirk, and I moved onto the front of my feet, tracing out how I'd lead this fight back to the trees. The beast padded at the ground a few times before charging at me, head lowered to allow its tusks easier access for goring me.

I leapt to the side early, catching my momentum and breaking into a run alongside the beast. One step, two steps. I leapt, stabbing my blade into its side and pulling myself onto its back. The beast slowed its charge, realizing that its prey was nowhere to be seen. I twisted my torso around, snapping the edge of my blade into its underside. The boar squealed and bucked, artificial muscles propelling it away from the trees.

"Wrong way, you asinine hunk of meat." I kept my gaze forward, bouncing in time with the creature's rise and fall as well as flicking my sword into its flank from time to time. The creature continued running the wrong way, starting to convulse its body from side to side in an attempt to throw me off.

"Fine, if you're going to be like that," I leaned forward, grasping my left hand on the side of its neck and sunk my weapon into the other side, wrenching my torso counter clockwise to tear it out.

The beast let out a wet roar, losing momentum. "Oh, don't like that, do you?!" I repeated the method, creating the red outline of a rectangle opening towards the ground with the second attack. When the boar started tipping over, I kicked off and landed in a roll, shooting back in with a «Rage Spike» to its belly. When the «Post Motion» faded, I pulled my blade upwards with both hands, moving into a right-left «Slant» followed by a «Vertical» before stabbing back in with with my left hand pushing on the bottom of the hilt.

I back away when its legs kicked, noting that it was slightly under 50% health. "Just go down already! Behave like you should and exsanguinate!" I tensed my legs, the «Sword Skill» tracing a spiraling vertical line of blue that ended in an angry red incision parallel to its spine. I ran farther up, making a short hop and releasing a «Stone Sheath» into its skull.

The «Livid Boar» collapsed back to the ground, its forelegs giving out underneath it. "Take the hint and pixelate already! You should be dead thrice over!" I spiraled back to its neck, unleashing a «Vertical» as I fell. With some 25% remaining, I grabbed ahold of its neck fur, driving my sword in and out like a jackhammer before yanking it upwards with another two-handed grip.

#Acquired: five «Rough Fur», six «Raw Boar meat», 40 cor.# I exited out of the window, idly flicking my blade to remove most of the imaginary fluid before wiping its faces on my pants.

"Hey! Asasaki! You okay!?" The roving sausage fest were all running towards me, Klein waving his hand as he spoke. I raised my hand in return, calmly walking towards them. Klein stopped in front of me and hunched over, huffing as he spoke. "What happened? I thought your plan was to ride it into the trees?"

"No plan fully survives contact with the enemy. I had to improvise." I moved my thumb under his chin, slowly forcing him into a standing position. "Crouching like that restricts your breathing. I got five «Rough Fur» out of that by the way. We calling it here or try to get more «Ragged Fur» from the common boars?"

"We should get more «Ragged Fur», using the «Rough Fur» to enhance what we can," Harry said, turning to look at the stragglers from our group. "I think using the normal method for any «Livid Boars» would be better though. You gave us all a panic attack when yours ran away without turning back."

I gave a small apology at that, moving to the other side of Klein as we started walking back. "But thanks for the rush though. Shame that it didn't take the hint and just die after I struck its neck like that."

"Maybe when you reach level ten or twenty you can come back down here and one shot them," Klein joked, ruffling my hair.

"I should smack you for that," I told him, trying to smoothen out the mess. "Not appreciating the short insulations."

"But Asasaski, it's our way of expressing how cute you are!" I growled at Issin's remark, gently shoving him away after breaking out of his attempted head hold.

"Cute is my nieces or nephews when they try to play the sibling card on me when I'm chaperoning for them!" I paused for a moment, looking to the side. "Or when I decide to dress up. But I am not cute right now! I am an angry bundle of adrenaline and I will stab you for continuing to say otherwise!" I waited a few beats before leaping forward a step and turning around to look at them. "Mostly. Jokingly. But please stop with the short stuff." I gave an amused smile, bringing my hand up to finger the hilt of my sword.

"Right. Got it. No more short jokes, Little Miss Developer." I groaned, meeting Issin's gaze before rolling my eyes.

"Fine. You get to keep the nickname if I get to call you Brush." I folded my hands behind my head, pleased with the comparison.

"Eh!? Why Brush?!" Issin quickened his pace, moving in front of me.

"Your hair. It looks like a brush that's been well used." A little mean, but I had a follow up compliment if he took too much offense.

"Euh. Fine, I guess I can accept that. Little Miss."

"Now guys, play nice. We're still working together for the next couple of days." Klein wrapped an arm around our necks, a grin on his face.

"We're playing nice," The two of us said at the same time, sharing a smile afterwards.

We continued our hunt for two more «Livid» spawns, deciding that it wouldn't hurt to do one more spawn for extra «Rough Fur» before heading back for lack of potions. During one of the interims, we had decided to hand our tanks some of our potions to help us get through the remainder of the quest.

"So enhanced gear for our front lines, and standard for everybody else, right?" I asked, slowly advancing forward as I pivoted in half circles from foot to foot.

"Yup! That's the plan." Klein was in the center of our group, staring at me in amusement from time to time with glowing green eyes as he scanned the forest. We decided that if we came across a goblin trail on the way back we'd take care of it, but if we had to go out of our way for it we wouldn't follow it.

"We still need to get 16 more goblins, right Klein?" Dale turned his head back towards us, sword held out as a precaution.

"Something like that. It's the same thing for you guys, right?"

"We only need 14 more. We were supposed to have less, but Asasaki came across those «Wasps» instead," Harry responded.

"I have a question though," I started, stopping my spins to face Klein. "Isn't this quest called «Goblinoid Extermination»? There's other species aside from goblins that are included in that term, isn't there?"

"There's normal goblins, hobgoblins, depending on the source material sometimes orks get included in that, and then usually various races within those categories." I looked over at Harry, eyeing the progress text for the quest.

"Wonder what'll other types of monsters we'll find." I twirled to face forward, hands folded behind my back. "Oh hey, don't you have part of my split for furs, Harry?" A window appeared in my vision, stating that our information specialist wanted to trade with me. A few seconds later, the rest of the furs that I needed were deposited into my inventory. "Thank you." At Harry's direction, Dale and Dynamm led us down the path towards the leather worker's house.

"Excuse us! Is anybody home?" Klein knocked on door of the building, looking around.

"Hello?" The boyish face of Jakob peered out from the doorway, expressing pleasant surprise before fully opening it. "Oh, hello there, Lady Asasaki. Have you gathered all the materials?"

I gave a slightly pained smile and nodded, ignoring Issin's snirk. "We also have some extra «Rough Fur» and were planned on using it to enhance some of the final products. Hopefully enough to fully enhance four sets, but if there's not enough materials," I trailed off, pointedly looking at Harry.

"Then we'll be fine reducing the amount of upgrades done. At the very least, the chest and leg pieces should be upgraded." The lone headgear user in our group, not counting whatever miniscule amount of numbers Klein and Dynamm's bandana's probably had, continued.

Jakob nodded, repeating our customizations. "Sure, we can do that. So full sets for everybody, and if we can't completely enhance four sets then at least enhance the chest pieces and leg guards, right?" Harry confirmed our request, causing a screen to appear in front of all of us.

I set the value for «Rough Fur» used to zero, confirming the option for excess materials to be distributed to the remainder of my party. Once I confirmed my selections, I opened up my quest log, grateful that I had left was tracking down goblins.

"I don't know about you guys, but I kind of want to take the rest of the day off. I've enough excitement for now." Klein led the way back to the hamlet, the majority of our group agreeing with him. While I personally wished to continue hunting goblins, the potential of encountering more «Giant Wasps» and unknown goblinoids deterred me from voicing my desires.

"Might as well go over our «Sword Skills». Maybe Asasaki can drill us on some practical techniques." I quietly groaned at Harry's comment.

"Sure, sure. Give me like thirty or sixty minutes though so I can figure out a list of things to start you guys out with." I flicked open my «Notes», putting down ideas and concepts that I could teach in a day.

"Maybe we should use the «Forest of Tranquility» instead of here? It might worry the NPC's," Dale suggested.

"Hm. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Klein opened the door of the «Charbroiled Boar» for us, ruffling my hair when I passed.

"Just for that, I'm teaching you all how to recover from a fall," I remarked, adding it to my list.

* * *

I blocked Klein's thrust with the flat of my blade, swinging myself underneath his outstretched arm and tossing him over me. "Take notes, guys. «Sword Skills» might be fast and strong, but if somebody's smart enough to memorize the activation process they can block it preemptively." I backed away several steps, eyeing Klein's health bar. "Try approaching me again. Without using «Rage Spike» or «Reaver» like the last three times if you please."

"So what, actually walk up to you?" He stared at me incredulously, apparently having a hard time wrapping his mind around the concept.

"Yes. If you use a «Sword Skill» against me and I block it, the «Post Motion» is long enough for me to punish you for it. So stop using «Sword Skills» and start using the basics that I taught you guys." It only took a few minutes into our group training before I confronted Harry and Klein about the lack of basic attacks. While I agreed with the philosophy of getting used to the "triggers" for each move, I insisted that they start work on mastering the unassisted forms on their own.

Klein stared me down, sword held out to the side, ready to move into a «Sword Skill». Eventually he scoffed and charged at me with a war cry, sword raising up to his shoulder in a two handed grip good for stabbing or slashing.

I blocked the attack in the same manner as before, knocking him back with a push kick. "Good attempt. Next time don't project so much though." I moved my sword so that it pointed back at the ground, turning my head to give Choryu advice on his swings.

Klein charged back at me during that time, my only warning for his thrust being the sound of his feet digging into the ground. I aborted my elbow to his head, rotating the momentum of my backstep to face towards him, slapping him across the head with the flat of my sword.

"Very nice. I applaud your eagerness. Now that you know I'll dodge or block, why not try a more controlled attack such as a two handed slice so you can move into another attack or block if I decide to counter?" Klein rubbed his head and returned to his starting position, grumbling all the while.

He broke into a sprint, sword moving into the same position as before. While ordinarily I would have assumed he was going to repeat a tactic, that he had adjusted whenever I gave advice kept me from committing to a block. Instead I moved onto the balls of my feet, sword drifting towards the center of my body.

The flat of his blade crashed against mine, and he surged forward to take advantage of the opening. I slapped the weapon away from us, spinning in the same direction towards his left and bringing the back of my hand into his thigh. "Excellent attempt. Just because it's called "attacking" doesn't mean it can't be defensive." I smirked at how he rubbed his leg, struggling to stand back up. "And yes, attacking certain areas has a chance to inflict «Stun» as you're experiencing. Just another reason to add variance to your strikes."

"Now time for blocking. I won't tell you what I'm going to be doing, but I will be telegraphing a little bit to make it easier for you. Also, I'll only be attacking with my sword, so no worries for my other hand or feet." I squared up, slowly tottering my way towards him. He held his weapon in both hands, the method I taught them to practice with for the time being.

I took a step to the left, twisting my wrist as I stroke to land the flat of my blade instead of the edge. Our weapons sung when he blocked, and I chambered back into my sparring position. The only reason I was dueling Klein was because he had been pressuring me for it, stating that he learned better from practical stuff over theoretical.

I moved my left hand to the side twisting my torso counter clockwise and extending my right hand to attack his left. He grunted in annoyance when my blade slapped against his arm. "A proper attack chambers from the same start, ending in multiple ways. The less tells you can develop, the better." I rocked back a few steps, raising my blade into an overhead strike.

"I'm not complaining much," I started firing off attacks, giving a brief moment between each signal before going through with the strike, "but why are you training us like this? You're making it seem like we're going to be fighting other players."

I flicked my blade towards his left, halting its momentum part way and lunging forward into a crouch. My arm moved in a vague "Z" pattern, driving the pommel of my sword into his stomach. "There are goblins in these woods. They're not much right now, but imagine if they were higher levels. Or if on the upper floors their fighting style becomes much more fluid and dynamic. Like a human. We can control them easily now because they're so low, but what would you do if you didn't know how to fight like this when we reach those floors? When we come across monsters fast enough that they can counter «Sword Skills» with lower «Post Motions»?"

I sheathed my sword, guiding Klein back into a standing position with his hands folded above his head so that his arms created a circle. "I'm just preparing you guys for what might lie ahead. I know you're civilians and all, but if I'm going to be with you guys for now I'd rather see you all when we get out of here, and not on some tower of data." My voice fell to a whisper as I told him that, my gaze moving to the ground. In between gasps for breath, Klein told me he appreciated my efforts, even though right now all he wanted was to deck me and tickle me until I cried Uncle.

"We can end the duel now. There's no need for me to keep beating on you like this. Practice your forms for now. 50 a day for each one should do the trick. Every week or so tack on another ten. I know we don't exactly have muscles in this world, but at the very least your brain will create the electrical patterns to perform the actions." I handed him one of the potions I had received from the «Plant Collection» quest. Over the course of our spar I had reduced him to 60% or so.

Irritably, my blocks didn't prevent all damage from coming through, as much as it should have. In return, Klein had damaged me some 25% or so. While a good portion of me baulked at the idea that without even trying he had damaged me so much, I took solace in the knowledge that I wasn't aiming to hurt him, only teach.

I sat down against a tree, mindful of the sword tied around my torso. Klein's group, who I discovered would often form a guild or clan under the name of "FuRinKaZan", and organized into a rectangular formation, Klein and Harry in the front as they led the other four through the strikes and blocks, calling out the number they were on.

Separated from the group, Mr. Trendy slowly moved through the motions I had taught him. Though I had an inkling as to why he was moving so slow, it would be better to confirm my suspicions as opposed to overestimating him.

"Muscles giving out?" I asked, deciding to go for a pseudo joke.

"Hm? Ah, no. I'm fine, Ms. Asasaki." Choryu snapped back into his forms when I dryly remarked on not giving him permission to stop.

"I have an idea or two, but is there any reason why you're going so slow?" I fell in beside him, performing the same actions at around his pace, pouring over the way my mind processed the information.

"You mentioned doing it enough times to make our brains used to the motion. In my work, I had to memorize a lot of formulas and patterns until I knew them well enough to feel safe about using them as short cuts. I couldn't reach that point until I wrote them out enough times though. I'm figuring that if I'm doing what you're telling me to do slowly, it'll let me learn it faster."

"Practice slow to perform it fast," I muttered, performing the downward slice with both hands. "What did you do for your job again?"

"I was in charge of finances. Since I could work from home, my boss was fine with me staying at home for a couple of days so long as I got ahead of my projects at the time." I responded with a simple breath of understanding.

I calmed my breathing, slowly moving into the stances for «Horizontal», «Slant», and «Vertical». There was around a one to two tenths of a second «Post Motion» for each one. Alone it wasn't that bad, but combined with the small delay for the system to register the stance it wouldn't be useful in fast paced combat. I lost myself in the motions, the cries of Klein's group serving as a focus for my partial meditation.

I blinked out of my trance, bringing my sword to my side. "Yes?"

"Everybody's already headed back. You plan on staying out here much longer?" Klein stared at me, tilting his head.

"Mm." I droned out my hum, taking a look at the evening twilight. "Probably not. If there's no artificial lighting, there's no good reason to be up past sunset." I sheathed my blade, moving to Klein's side. "How long were you waiting?"

"Around half an hour. You feeling hungry?" I grunted in admission. "I think I'll order a stew. I wouldn't mind something warm in my belly when I go to bed."

"I think I'll join you. Some bread sounds nice to go along with it, but I don't think they have that here."

"Oh, right. We still need to get everybody's input, but apparently the person we're supposed to escort to the next town is supposed to arrive tomorrow. Harry and I were thinking that if we can get the rest of the goblins in the morning, we might be able to leave in the afternoon." I stared up at the sky, wondering whether the splattering of lights properly represented the sky in this world.

"Might end up leaving the day after that. If our armor isn't supposed to be ready until tomorrow at the earliest, I feel like whoever's supposed to arrive will want to relax, maybe spend time with the locals." I initiated a trade with Klein, tapping the plus sign next to the "cor" box. "10 cor if we talk to them we get a small quest out of it."

"No deal. But if it doesn't happen in the village, then I think it'll happen while we're travelling." Klein tapped on the handle a few times, opening the door to the «Charbroiled Boar» for me.

"One sec." I walked up to the counter, placing the sacks of «Petal Fragments» on the table. "Hilde mentioned that you might be able to make a tea out of these?" I pulled out a few coins, placing them on the table.

"These petals," the chef stared at them intently for a few seconds, "I could make a tea out of this, but we use it around these parts as and energy drink for days when we don't feel like getting out of bed. You sure you want me to make it now?"

I made a noise of embarrassment, raising my hand up. "Ah, maybe tomorrow in the morning then?" When he confirmed that he could do that, I paid the cor he required, placing an order for a simple root-based vegetable and meat stew.

"This game is so weird," Klein muttered, visually tracking me as I returned to our table.

"How so?"

"There's like two or three different ways you could go about interfacing with it. There's the standard "use your menu for everything" or "make the relevant gesture" but then there's also the "Fully interact with what's around you" method like what you usually do." I blinked at Klein's gesture, trying to figure out the issue.

"Is interactivity kind of a strange thing in the games you played?" I thanked the old man when he placed our dishes in front of us. "I feel like in this day and age, games would be much more complex than the binary storyline most used to have."

"Well some games have fully interactive stuff where you can choose what you want to do, when you want to do it, but those are kind of far and few between. If anything, most games usually have a guided free roam." Klein looked up from his meal, staring off blankly as he processed his line of thought. "Actually, I guess it isn't that weird. Must just be the first person perspective of it."

I hummed in understanding, staring at the purple flesh of the vegetable. "The weird parts are still a game?" I offered, biting down on the soft root.

"There we go! Reality has a good grasp on this place, but some stuff is just pure fantasy. Like watching somebody spin towards a target and launch herself a few meters into the air above it." Klein pointed his spoon at me, beaming with pride that we solved the issue.

"You amuse easily, you know that?" I took another spoonful, letting it rest in my mouth a few seconds before swallowing.

"Gotta find the humor somewhere in this game. As fun as it is, we're still fighting for our lives, y'know?"

I looked back at him, holding his gaze for several moments before speaking. "We'll make it out of here," I said. "There's nothing wrong with backing away from an unfavorable situation. Just call it advancing towards future victories." I smiled and finished off my meal, licking my lips to savor the mild bite the herbs used had.

"I'll see you at the room, Scruffles." I waved my hand as I left, chuckling when Klein finally responded to my nickname for me. "We will make it out of here. Eventually." I stopped outside the door, staring at the darkened ceiling. Out of 100 floors, we were still on floor one, and it was already halfway through the second week. How much time would be lost in this artificial world?

"I'm going to sleep now. You should stop asking yourself existential questions before bed, Dawn." I huffed and headed off towards the stables, intent on clocking out as soon as my head hid the covered bundle of straw I was using for a pillow.

* * *

 _There was an article I read regarding the presentation of RPG's and how the scenes you present need to have a Yes/No Dramatic Question in order to be worth going into detail. Does the party escape, does the party acquire all seven gems and survive, does the party discover where the thief went. This mostly being a SoC exercise, some of the scenes won't have that in mind, but now that I remembered that bit of information hopefully the various scenes have a better feel to them, even if it's just me not going "how do I continue this?!"_

Next chapter should be out July 14th-15th.


	5. Introspection

_So I went swimming on Thursday at a maintained natural area. Jumping into the water that many times ended up giving me a headache and any attempts to finish my edits just hit a brick wall called sensory overload. Not fun, I tell you._

* * *

I slowly dripped water on Klein's face, dipping it back into the wooden bucket when I wrung all the liquid out. I had been doing this for the past two minutes and at this point I was having trouble deciding if it was doing nothing at all or if he was just refusing to react.

After another minute, Klein sat up with a groan. "Level with me, Asasaki. How long would you have done this if I didn't speak up?"

I internally cheered, placing the cloth on the bucket. "For about five or ten minutes. After that I'd probably poke you awake." I smiled at him, clasping my hands in my lap. "Do you think all floors will be like this? A few days completing the quests in each area?"

"Maybe. Each floor might take at least a week, if not two. The only reason why this floor is taking so long is because we're still getting used to this world. We're all newbies here, not like we can just follow a tried and tested guide." Klein cracked his back, moving over to wake up Choryu.

"I'll go set up the tables." I stood up, picking off a few pieces of straw from my tunic. The morning air was crisp, tinted by the scent of wood and earth. I took a few moments to merely breath deeply before walking into the «Charbroiled Boar».

"Oh, Lady Asasaki. Good morning." I put a smile on my face, reciprocating Jakob's greeting. "Your equipment should be ready by this afternoon at the latest. Some sets will be ready a little earlier and you're more than welcome to drop by and pick up the individual sets." The young man turned around and gave a small bow. "Thank you for breakfast, Mr. Aldwin."

Over the past few days we noticed that NPC's would occasionally enter the pub. Unless we went out of our way to interact with them they wouldn't say much, and even then it was minor conversation.

"So about that tea," I started, leaning on the front counter.

"Ah, yes. Let me get started on that for you. Would you like me to get anything started while you wait?" I scrolled through the menu that popped up, selecting a steak of sorts alongside what seemed to be this world's variant of an apple. "I'll get it out for you as soon as I can." I placed the required cor on the wood, moving tables around to get ready for the morning discussion.

A voice immediately followed the sound of the door opening. "You're evil and I hate you."

"Keep that up and Santa will give you coal for christmas," I told Issin off-handedly, returning to my interface. My current project for the morning was familiarizing myself with the «Options» portion of the menu. There wasn't much to work with, not compared to other games. Aside from a few sliding bars regarding the level of background music and ambient noise in the Audio section and section regarding "Realism" that I quickly tapped through, the biggest chunk of things that could be changed was under the «Customize» section. In there, there were options for how opaque windows were, what color certain things could be, font size, the option to modify how vibrant (if at all) the effects for «Sword Skills» were, and the ability to switch two different layouts for the menu.

The second style was a somewhat large rectangular box that had all the main options listed that was a light purple (this I changed to a soft rich blue via color wheel). Instead of being five circles that created a new window to the side or a drop down menu, this interface created a new window that you could drag around your field of view. While the initial variant felt much nicer to interact with, having the option to swap between multiple windows instead of being limited to three was /something I wasn't willing to give up.

I folded my hands above my head, bending backwards in a stretch. "Must've been something interesting you were working on. I was trying to get your attention for the past few minutes. The NPC here brought you your tea. Might be a little cold at this point." I followed Issin's finger, blinking at the wood cup and clay teapot in front of me.

"Thanks," I said, sipping at the «Petal Fragment» tea. "Oh wow, that's good." I stared at the cup, swirling it around a few times. The drink was still warm and had a kick to it, not too dissimilar to caffeine or a carbonated drink. There was a bitter undertone to it mixed with a sweet aftertaste, and I found myself quickly moving on to my second cup.

"I was messing around with my options. Have to say, I like this Window based layout as opposed to that dynamic style." I pressed the button to share my screen with him. Aside from the obvious presentation, the buttons and general layout remained the same. "By the way, try this." I passed the cup towards him, rotating it for a relatively clean drinking surface.

"Where'd you find this option?" He asked, taking a sip. After a moment he slowly cupped the drink with both hands, cradling it to his chest. "Asasaki, you're a gift from heaven."

I stared him with a confused smile, realizing it was probably the closest thing to coffee he'd had since we got here. "In the «Options» tab. You go «Options», «Customize», «Menu», and then «Layout». And why do I get the sense you're thinking of badgering Harry and Klein into hunting the «Slumbering Lilies» today?"

"Bother us with what?" Klein leaned over to participate in the conversation, having heard his name.

"Asasaki found a leaf that tastes like coffee." Issin pointed at the teapot, taking another sip.

"No kidding?" Klein stared at the pot for a few seconds before speaking up. "If we have time later today, we'll head back to the southeast path and look into hunting the drops then."

I cut into my meal, focusing on the texture. This being our third, possibly fourth, day here, there wasn't that much to talk about. If any conversation did happen, it was expectations of how the day would progress.

"Klein, doesn't your group still need to gather items for the «Plant Collection quest?" Harry said after a bite.

"Ah, crap, you're right. We still need to kill goblins, too." Klein scratched his head, turning to face the shield user. "What if we swap one person out from our groups? That way we can still take down any plants safely and whoever's in your party can still help mine out with the kill count?"

"Not it. Not unless somebody plans on taking the «Searching» skill." I placed the core of the fruit on my plate, pouring a bit of water over my hands to alleviate the sticky feeling.

"If they're just goblins, Dale and I can handle controlling them. Maybe we could swap Issin and Choryu?" Harry motioned towards the two, grabbing their attention.

"You guys feel up to it? Swapping positions for the day? You'll still be in the same party, this is just so we can try and complete all the quests today." Klein met their gazes. After a moment Issin agreed, Choryu following shortly after.

"Do I get anything special if we end up meeting something other than a goblin?" I chimed, attempting to familiarize myself with the new placement of my interface.

"You get the respect and admiration of those who helped destroy the monsters, Little Miss. Hey, Choryu? Don't compliment her too much. She's just a mean little developer trying to have fun amongst us casuals. Leave her alone for a few seconds and she'll steal all the monsters away from you." Issin nudged the office worker, a smile adorning his face.

"If I was a developer for this game, I would've maxed out all my stats, given myself the gear I wanted with the appearance of my choosing and gone to all the spots I wanted to and enjoy my vacation. He's joking about that developer thing, by the way. The most I can do on computers is search things online. I wouldn't know a thing about coding."

"Didn't you say you do work as a costume maker?" Brush-for-hair pointed his finger at me, eyes half lidded.

"That was for my little cousins. And no I did not provide anything for this game." I took my cup back and poured myself another serving, sniffing in disdain when Issin started chuckling.

"Hey, guys? Keep an eye out for Choryu, alright? He's gotten the basics of combat down but he still struggles from time to time. If you think you need to retreat and find another spawn, don't hesitate to, alright?" The man in question offered an apology in response to Klein's concerns, explaining he'd make it up to us some day.

"If nothing else, just take openings where you can," I stated. "I can hold my own pretty well, so unless Harry or Dale say otherwise, you're better off hanging around them." We went our separate ways outside, Issin promising me we'd share a cup of the tea tomorrow morning after I explained how to get the «Fragments».

"So what will we do if we end up coming across «Wasps» or something other than «Goblins»?" I asked. The four of us were slowly traveling as a group. I kept an eye out for any sign of humanoid passing, occasionally pitching in to the conversation regarding experiences in the «Town of Beginnings».

"We'll take a look at the levels if we can. If as a group we think we can take it, we'll go for it. If not, we'll run or stand our ground until we can retreat." At the insistence of Harry and myself, our group was travelling with our weapons ready, keeping a mindful distance from each other.

"Found one. Give me a bit to see where it leads." I broke off from the group, surrounding myself in the sounds of nature as I followed the footprints and disturbed foliage. #Targets found. Four goblins. 1 Dagger, 2 Club, 1 Axe.# I slunk to the ground, hiding behind a tree while I waited for a response.

#Circle around. Wait for signal.# Slowly easing around, I was mindful to stay downwind. While Harry asked that I move around to the other side, doing so would increase the odds of being discovered, and I did not fancy taking on four level fives on my own.

One by one, the goblins stood up, grabbing their weapons and talking about something. Being in a different language, I had no clue what they were discussing, only able to guess that they were going to move somewhere else based on their gestures.

My eyes flicked over to my map. The indicator I had for Harry signaled him as being on the south side of the clearing with myself being around the eastern portion of it. The goblins seemed to be heading northwest and if we engaged on them now we would have an extra moment before they noticed us.

Our two forwards charged in with a cry, their weapons ready to attack or defend. The goblins turned, stumped as to what was occurring. Waiting for both sides to meet, I took a step forward, drawing my sword so that it was parallel to my rear leg.

Harry blocked the «Axe» user's attack with his shield, shoving it back with a push before setting on it. Dale knocked away the weapon of one of the «Club» users before slashing at it normally. Seeing the one with a «Dagger» move in to attack Dale's flank, I unleashed the «Rage Spike» I had been charging, spearing it through the head. A tug pulled my sword free, the creature falling to the ground under the effects of a «Stun» and a heavy bleed.

I waited for Dale to execute a «Sword Skill» before following up, the two of us keeping it unable to attack until it showered us in tiny blocks of data. When I noticed Choryu struggle to get an attack in against his highly aggressive goblin, I ran in, tossing my sword into my left hand and driving the butt off my blade between the creature's shoulder blades.

I heard the rapid sound of something being stabbed, the creature stumbling back with each schlick. I stepped forward, pulling its legs out from underneath it with my weapon before reversing my grip and firing a «Stone Sheath» into its chest.

"How many goblins did that count for you?" I asked, holding my sword by my side while I dealt with the information pop ups.

"Just the one," Choryu replied, dealing with his own windows.

"It seems that for the goblins to count for Klein's group, we need to let Choryu start the goblins off or deal the majority of the damage." Harry stepped over to us, looking at our traded companion.

"Want me to just control my targets then? If memory serves me correct, we're at 11 goblins and Choryu needs to get 15 for his group, right?" I traced an infinity symbol in front of me, keeping my sword pointed at the ground.

"That will work for now. Dale and I will take care of our own goblins. Let's aim to let Choryu get at least two from each group." I nodded at Harry's explanation, heading off to find the next group.

Around half an hour later, following a footpath that broke off from the main road, I found three goblins, all armed with simple daggers. The process went much the same, though instead of looking to damage my target I disarmed it and locked it in a hold, keeping it still until Choryu could finish it.

"I'm getting really antsy about this whole «Goblinoid» thing. I'm half expecting a beast than Dale to show up with a club twice as big as its torso." I picked up the worn bronze dagger one of the goblins dropped, depositing it into my inventory.

"I don't think something that big will show up around here. How would it even move around?" Dale asked, dismissing a potion after staring at it for a few seconds.

"This is still a game. It could be something event based. Maybe lead up to another quest or give us a hint of what's to come." I looked over at Choryu, the former Gaming Club leader practicing a series of attacks.

"Putting it that way, it seems inevitable we'll come across something. Hopefully it will only be one and not in a group since we're not a single party." Harry gently guided me back towards the path, stating that the faster we got through this the faster we could relax for the day.

After seeing what the third clearing contained, I moved several feet away before messaging Harry, sitting down against a tree while I waited for their arrival. "Good news. I found the goblinoid, and it's the only one that spawned. Bad news: it's a level eight «Hobgoblin Scout» decked out in chainmail and a morningstar. There are two level four «Goblin Footmen» with short swords accompanying it." I stood up, picking up my blade that I rested on the tree. "And it's about twice your size, Dale."

Harry let out a huff of air, sheathing his weapons before cupping his chin. "Asasaki, Choryu. You two take care of the «Footmen». Once you guys are clear, help us take care of the «Hobgoblin». Dale and I will be sharing the role of Tank for it. Oh, and try to bring your targets away, just in case it has any area of effect attacks.

The three of us sounded off, moving in slowly. The creatures were exactly as I left them, the hulking mass of green flesh towering over the scrawny goblins, a strange symphony of growls and clicks resounding from its gaping maw. It seemed more reptilian than anything.

"You two break off to the sides. Dale, ready a rock. Engage after it starts moving towards us." Harry raised his shield, inching forward. I offered the dagger user words of luck before moving around to the side, legs prepared to shoot me forward.

When the rock clicked off the «Hobgoblin's» head, I waited a few beats for Harry and Dale to reveal themselves. I stepped out of my own cover, yelling an insult at the «Goblins». Our forwards did their jobs well, firing off a salvo of stones to keep the attention of the green giant while the small fry split off to handle us one on one.

I skirted forward, pulling on my target's outstretched arm to add more momentum to my pommel strike to its solar plexus, protected only by a thin piece of ragged leather. In the gap provided when it involuntarily coughed, I slipped around to its back, still holding its now bent arm. I brought the edge of my sword across its neck, sending it to the ground with another pommel strike to its temple. I spun around, making sure that I wasn't about to be attacked by anything before stabbing my sword in its neck once more to accelerate its passing.

The ground shook. In my upper left, my eyes flitted from Harry's health bar to the man in question, trusting that he'd be able to recover from the hit that knocked him into a tree. I readied a «Rage Spike», targeting the right shoulder of Choryu's opponent.

When it stumbled back to a «Sword Skill», I unleashed mine, blue trailed into its body as my sword pierced through. Through my sword, I felt a few more impacts pass into its body. With my «Post Motion» fading, I twisted my blade, wrenching it out through the creature's side.

I flinched when a pervasive and guttural scream coursed through my body, broken by a sharp cry of pain. My attempt to see what had caused it stopped when I felt part of my lower back go numb. The cold feeling spread through my body, and a light haze coated my vision, my senses focusing on a single thing.

I whipped back around, heedless of the gaping wound in my stomach. What mattered was making sure that when I fell, it would not be in vain. I bashed the hilt of my sword into the creature's forehead with a two handed grip, grabbing it by its hair while it stumbled and drove my sword through its eye. The creature pixilated in my hands, and I hefted my weapon to my shoulder, uncaring of the blood staining my shirt. "I can still fight. Targets first, medic later," I told my shocked partner.

The spinning «Sonic Leap» clinkled harmlessly against its armor, a faint red line marking the area I had struck. Floating in the air a few feet above it, I watched our secondary press his forearm across our shield user's back, the latter holding his plated wood up to defend against the oncoming attack.

I landed on the beast's head after it struck, catching myself with my free hand. Leaping down, I dragged my sword through the beast's body in a reverse grip, catching myself at the neck of its chainmail and pulling myself up onto its shoulder. From there I stabbed into its neck, ignoring the cry of pain it gave.

When its shoulder raised slightly, I swung myself across its neck, stabbing into the other side. The numb feel still existed, though thankfully it ceased at around the size of two of my fists. I brought my blade across my torso, still held in a reverse grip. My legs launched me towards the behemoth's neck, my sword digging into the vulnerable flesh.

I kicked myself towards the ground, twirling in midair and rolling between its feet upon landing. At my sides my companions were striking at its calves and ankle, dealing whatever damage they could.

Our quarry fell to a knee, its weapon on the ground as it raised a hand to its neck in pain. I ran back towards its face, a straight «Sonic Leap» driving my blade into its left eye. When it flinched back, I pulled my weapon out, sliding down its cheek and jumping back onto its shoulder. My sword was set upon its neck, manually inscribing the general shape of an english 4 across a bulging vein.

The creature screamed once more, the only warning I had for its reattempt to flatten me being the twisting of its torso. I shot up its neck, yanking on a length of braided hair to pull myself atop its head. My sword crashed into its head with a «Stone Sheath». When it collapsed face first onto the ground, I gripped another fist full of digital keratin to keep myself from falling off.

I tore my sword out of its head, alternating between making new handholds through its skull and using its hair to make my way back onto somewhat level ground. I used another «Stone Sheath» near the cervical spine, twisting it around violently to hasten the depletion of its health.

Whether through my actions or my companions, the creature exploded in a shower of data. I landed in another roll, immediately dropping my sword laying down. "I got hit," I stated, applying pressure to the wound.

"Your hp is still in the green." I couldn't identify the face of the one who stood over me, focusing on assisting in the clotting of my blood.

"But it stabbed right through me," I responded, wondering why my hand wasn't warm.

"Sorry about that, Miss Asasaki. When the «Hobgoblin» roared, I stopped paying attention. I guess the «Goblin» still had enough health to get one more attack in.

I took a deep breath and blinked, the haze disappearing. "This isn't the real world," I said more than asked.

"No. You won't bleed out here. Not anymore. That status effect disappeared a few seconds ago." I turned my head to look at Dale, focusing on his face.

"I'm just panicking over nothing then," I continued, slowly sitting up. The numb feeling was receding, and warmth slowly returned to my lower torso.

"I'm going to have a hard time understanding you if that's how you panic, Asasaki." I ignored Harry's words, repeating the mantra of "You won't bleed out".

"Are you okay?" I looked into Dale's eyes, slowly breathing to bring my words and heart rate under control.

"No. But I'll get better. The goblin surprised me when it struck through me. I've been hit before, but having something like that go through me, I thought I had a piece of metal lodge itself into me from an explosive." I had to remind myself that the three surrounding me were not those I had known back in real life, that any injuries sustained here would recover with time.

"Let's take a little break then. I'll let Klein know that we fought a level 8 monster." Dale moved behind me, gently massaging my shoulders.

"It's alright. You're with friends. We've got your back." I closed my eyes, focusing on the quiet murmurings and ministrations he provided. When I reopened them, Harry and Choryu were staring at me intently, both with their own expression of worry.

"I'm good. Shall we continue?" I asked, standing up.

Harry took a few moments before speaking. "If you think you can keep going, alright. Don't worry about slowing us down if you need another moment though. Your mental state is vital to doing your job. Don't be like Issin or Klein and force a scheduled thing when something terrible's happened. It'll only hurt all of us."

I nodded at Harry words, giving a small smile before picking my sword back up. "I'll try not to get stabbed like that then." I left with a wave, downing a potion as I walked.

There was no shame in breaking down like that, I felt, imposing memories long past onto those around me. Over the next few hours, we worked our way through the forest, taking a break when we reached the northern end and entered the plains.

"That's the way to the next floor, isn't it?" I pointed towards the massive construct towards the north. From our elevation, it loomed over us, hidden by rolling grasslands and mountains, a symbol of both our hopes and shackles.

"Just knowing where it is doesn't help us though. With all the monsters in the way, even those who wanted to get out of here didn't go into the woods. We're probably the first handful aside from the Beta Testers out here." Harry had unequipped his head guard, the four of us enjoying the breeze.

"Information from the Beta's probably not going to be that useful anymore, is it?" I placed my sword at my side, folding my hands underneath my head. "The core might be the same, but the details could have changed for release."

"True. And even if it stayed the same, I heard they only managed to make it up to the tenth floor." I looked over at Harry, the seventeen year old staring at the tower. It came as a surprise to me when he revealed that there was around a five year difference between him and the eldest of their group, all six of them having met through school or online forums.

"You think Beta Testers banded together? I feel like they would." I rolled onto my stomach, taking in the sensation of the grass blades. "Some of them probably went solo though. Think they managed to survive?"

"Some might have. But if you're right about things changing, a good amount probably died to something they weren't expecting." Dale voice was a mixture of masculinity and gentleness. The kind of voice that came to mind when you thought of a father reading bedtime stories to his children.

"It's nice that they didn't all run off own their own, though. I don't think I could forgive them if the entire lot didn't help us." Choryu joined me on the ground, staring up at the sky.

"What'd they do?" I asked.

"A handful of Testers stayed behind and compiled information on the monsters and quests around here. Map data isn't included in the book until somebody goes out and fetches it." Harry pulled out a few sheets of parchment bound together, the front page having the words "Don't worry, it's Argo's First Floor Guide!". There was an additional line of text on the bottom that was too small for me to read.

"That's nice of them." The book must have been made when I was still in my slump. I took a breath and rolled onto my feet, reattaching my sword to my torso. "I'm going to get back to it. You okay if I take the first group by myself?"

"Don't get in over your head," Harry told me.

#Thanks for the help. Save us some goblins, ok?#

I closed out of Klein's message, shaking my head at the kaomoji he sent along with it. "Aren't you in your twenties? Should you really be using stuff like that still?" I muttered to myself. "Oh. Almost missed you." I broke off to the right of the path, slipping past the bent branches.

The tracks led me to two level seven «Goblin Scouts». Lanky creatures garbed in thick furs. One was armed with a dagger and the other a short sword and buckler. "I can take them," I whispered to myself, drawing my blade.

They had yet to notice me, engrossed in their own conversation. My best best would be to attack from behind while they were distracted, targeting the shield user first to prevent it from pinning me. Unfortunately, the ground around me was primarily dirt. There were no rocks of a suitable size I could use.

"Guess we do this manually." I calmed myself with a breath, preparing myself for my initial attack. I shot towards the dual humanoids, sword trailing behind me as I crouched low to the ground.

I swung underneath the shield goblin's left arm, resting it across my shoulders and slamming my right elbow into its face. With a step, I reversed my momentum, my stab missing the other goblin.

Pivoting counterclockwise, my left arm and leg moved to scissor my main target at the ankle and neck, dropping it to the ground with a twist. My sword snaked out, burying its tip in the creature's neck. I switched my facing, palming the dagger away from me and pulling on the offending limb.

On its second step I introduced the butt of my sword to the back of its head, chambering into a left-right Slash to its lower torso before grabbing it by the hair and greeting its forehead with my knee. With the knowledge that these creatures wouldn't yield to just a single vital attack, I grabbed the dagger wielding goblin by its right shoulder, jamming my sword through its lower jaw, breaking off when it pixelated.

The shield user had recovered and charged at me, both weapons in its hands. I reciprocated the action, fist choking up on my sword for close combat. It's shield jabbed out and I side stepped to the left, sword moving in anticipation of a jab that never came.

I leaned back slightly, lead foot shooting out and snagging the creature by the back of its knee. When the creature stumbled I slipped around it, slicing its neck from behind. With some hp still remaining, I started off with a palm thrust, running it through with my blade to finish it off.

"I can't tell if I'm doing something wrong, or incredibly right." I flicked my sword to the side, habitually wiping it on my pants before sheathing it. I closed out of the items gained window, moving towards my stats when I noted the "level up" text at the bottom of the screen. Two of my newest points were tossed into Dexterity, the last one being added into Strength.

#How's your health?#

I blinked at the sudden message from Harry, responding that I took no damage.

#Be careful. And remember we're helping Klein as well.#

The rest of the hunt went fairly uneventful. Because of my tendency to take care of every other group by myself, we ended up reaching a point where all three of us would have to control our targets for Choryu to finish off, something Harry expressed his displeasure with.

"It's kind of disappointing we didn't come across any more «Hobgoblins»," I drawled, sheathing my blade.

"Speak for yourself, Adrenaline Junkie. You're not the one tanking those blows." I chuckled in embarrassment, giving Harry a smile.

"Did you do martial arts back in the real world, Ms. Asasaki?" I switched my gaze to Choryu, humming while I decided how to phrase it.

"Here and there. I did a few styles as a child, and then when I joined the military they provided more specialized training." I opened and closed my quick access bar, familiarizing myself with the motions to prepare myself for using potions as quick as possible.

"Explains why you're so efficient," Harry murmured. The four of us made our way to the Leather Maker's building to collect our armor. The notification that they were ready had popped up during our hunt, and we decided that we might as well grab it since we were done with our quests for the time being.

"I hope it's actual armor for me and not just strips of fabric." In a variety of games, female models were used for sex appeal. Sometimes the equipment for the, was actual armor, but more often than not it was some variation of a bikini.

"This low level, it shouldn't be what you're imagining. And if the creators were so set on not including magic, I imagine they'd be smart enough to make armor realistic as well." The shield user had a point.

"Hopefully. I guess I'll still wear it if it's not that great. If nothing else, at least I have clothing I can personalize." Equipment was broken down into four categories. Armor, Clothing, Accessories, and Weapons. They each broke down further for more greater diversity, but only Armor and Accessories actually gave useful stats. Clothing had flavour text, and there was several signs that better clothing could have special effects,

Jakob answered the door once again, perpetuating the myth of all things coming in three's. "Good afternoon, Lady Asasaki. Have you come to collect your equipment?"

"Yes. We'll only be collecting our own though. The others will pick it up on their own." Harry spoke up, a subtle hint of annoyance laced in his voice.

A window opened up before me, detailing the completion of the quest. I was rewarded 1,000 experience which was around 15% of the way to level 8. Most importantly was the set of «Durable Leather Armor». It was double the stats of my current gear and even included a three piece head guard that protected my forehead and temples.

I equipped the set, the sensation of somebody brushing their fingertips over my body washing over. The feeling disappeared when the equipment finished materializing, a small weight making itself known now that I wore more than a simple copper breastplate.

The chestpiece was a somewhat thick single item that was tied over my shoulders by way of brass buckles. The leggings were a set of two; the tassets that projected my upper thighs had a piece on each side that covered all but the insides of my legs, with a two more flaps underneath the those that protected my crotch and rear while simple greeves that extended past my knees attached over my fur lined boots, the shaft of which reached above my calves with a thicker portion on the sides and back.

My arms were protected by two different pieces, fingerless gauntlets and laminar vambraces. "All that's missing are shoulder guards," I uttered, testing the range of my motion. Harry and the others seemed pleased with their equipment, Choryu talking avidly about how he felt like we were finally progressing in the game. Their gear was the same as mine, the only difference being the length of their equipment vs mine.

"We might be able to handle those «Giant Wasps» without much fear if we come across them again," Harry said, taking a few practice swings. I gave the apprentice a slight bow, thanking him for his efforts.

"No problem. It makes me feel proud knowing somebody as beautiful as you will be wearing my work," he stammered out. I forced a smile, glad he finally confirmed my suspicions.

"Shall we head back to the hamlet? I think I can buy another potion or two from the cor I received." I asked, setting off towards the hamlet. When we entered the pub after picking up more restoratives, Klein's group greeted us cheerfully.

"Looking good, guys!" Klein raised his cup towards us, grinning wildly. "How's the stats?"

"About double the previous gear, and that's for the chestpiece alone." Harry unequipped most of his gear, sitting across from Klein. "The NPC was infatuated with Asasaki. Did you notice?" I groaned and rested my head in my hands.

"Kind of. I thought it was weird that he kept referring to her. Wonder who programmed that in." Klein scratched his chin, staring at the ceiling.

"Jakob's like in his teen's, eighteen at most. He might as well be my cousin." I untied my head guard, folding it in my lap. "Anyway, did you guys get the quest rewards yet?"

"We were planning on getting them after we ate. There's no need to rush now that all the quests are done." I looked over Issin's shoulder, the door opening right when my clock turned 1300.

"Sorry I'm late, Mr. Aldwin!" A cheery red head, one that must have been done with some kind of dye, stepped through the doorway, waving at the lone NPC.

"No worries, Ms. Mitsui." The aged man returned the greeting, smiling joyfully. "How was your trip?"

"Oh, something awful! The wolves and and goblins have been in a frenzy the past few days. The guards I hired were really competent though. We actually got some pelts and scrap metal out of them." The woman, possibly teen based off looks, walked up to the counter, leaning on it in favor of using a chair.

"Is this scripted?" I heard Issin ask.

"Of course it is. But if you mean "did we trigger it", then I don't know." Harry responded just as quietly.

"So these are the ones that have been helping around the outpost, huh?" The girl moved over to our table after a small conversation with the owner of the building, resting her hands on my head. "On behalf of the Mitsui Trading Guild, I'd like you thank you for assisting my suppliers. You've made our lives a lot easier by clearing out those goblins and boars."

I let a soft groan of annoyance emanate from the back of my throat, not sure if I could get away with being mean to what sounded like the supervisor of this region.

"No problem, Miss. It was our pleasure." Klein smiled wide, giving a thumbs up.

"We got some stuff out of it as well, so it was no big deal." Issin chimed in.

"Say, I could use some more big strong men to help me out. The escorts I brought with me are going to be staying here for a little while, but I still have things I need to do over in «Tolbana». I could leave in a few days when they finish up around here, but if you're willing, I could leave sooner. I'll give you guys a discount at one of my stores if you ever stop by."

I stared blandly at the translucent yellow exclamation point that appeared over her head. The elder leather worker, the apothecary, and the charcoal maker all had that icon appear when we got onto the relevant conversation. When we did whatever constituted as accepting, it would turn into a green question mark.

"We'll need a day or two, there's still some things we'd like to do around here, but sure! We wouldn't mind helping you out." I looked at Klein's cheeks. His exuberance was a little over the top, and I wondered whether he managed to find some alcohol or if this was his flirtatious nature showing itself again now that another woman had appeared.

"Excellent! That actually works out for me. There are things I need to get done as well. There's a cabin to the south of here. If you drop by around eight or so in the morning, I can get everything ready to leave by noon time." Mitsui gave a bow, the smile never leaving her face. It seemed a little fake to me, but only in the sense that she always had something to smile about, even when things weren't going her way.

"Aside from the name, she reminds me of another shopkeeper," I mentioned when the redhead left.

"You too? I thought I was just imagining it, but I guess the developers actually went and copied the design." I smiled at Choryu, glad somebody else knew what I was talking about.

"Oh, Klein. About those other things," I trailed off, waiting for him to pick up.

"Now that we're going to have better gear I'd like to try and go hunt another group of «Giant Wasps», maybe grind the «Slumbering Lilies» for a little bit so we can get something resembling caffeine. With the new gear, hopefully we can last longer without needing to use potions." Klein motioned towards me, being the only one still wearing armor.

"Go hand in those quests. We'll wait here." Harry made a shooing motion, waving the other four members of our group away.

#Relying on you to get us a lot of petal fragments~#

I shook my head at Issin message. #I accept your challenge.#

* * *

I ran along the petals, dragging my sword behind me. Believing that staying on the northern paths would only bring about «Vernal Mandragoras», we had gone back south to the route we originally took, taking advantage of the tracking abilities Klein and I provided.

This was our third spawn of «Lilies», each time being a grouping of two. When I brought up that the Apothecary would be able to make a few potions from the roots, everybody had willingly offered to hack away at them to force drops, Choryu and myself being delegated to «Pollen» and «Petal» collection.

It was good practice for the «Dagger» user. He was able to use his abilities in relative safety as well as get used to the kind of fast paced combat he would need to utilize as a small arms user.

I hacked away at the stamens, having spiraled my way in. With as much materials I could possibly force out of this plant, I leapt into the air and drove a «Stone Sheath» through its pistil, crashing to the ground surrounded by Harry, Issin, and Dale. On the other side of the clear, Choryu fell to the ground ungracefully, unable to catch him balance upon landing.

I gave a light chuckle at Issin's reaction, the brunet fist pumping at the drops I acquired for us. "This should keep us good for at least a few weeks," I said, organizing my inventory.

"Whatever you're thinking, might be double, if not longer. I don't plan on drinking it every day. Maybe once or twice a week at most. Or if we plan on doing a boss of any kind." Squire Brush closed out of his windows, walking over to me.

"I think I'll try this stuff out tomorrow. You've been yammering on about this stuff the entire time, Issin." Klein adjusted his vambraces, admiring them in the light.

"Hey, it's good, and I haven't had coffee at all since we got here. Let me have this, alright?"

"I feel like there might still be things to do in this area. We'll probably have to go out of our way to find the starting locations, but think we'll come back here?" I held my blade out to the side, moving it into various ready positions as we walked.

"I think so. That Mitsui person might end up being the one that brings us back, whether on her own or by hiring us again. Might be worthwhile if we plan on completing the story and not completing the game."

I looked over at Harry, mulling over his words. "I think that's what I'll end up doing, quests and all that. Technically speaking I'm still on vacation, so I'm going to do what I want."

"At this point I think we're all on vacation," Kunimittz said, turning his head to direct his voice at me from the front of our group.

"Almost makes me feel like a kid again, having such a long break from studying. Not really though, being close to winter." Klein scratched his cheek, running up to Dale and slapped him on the back, engaging in conversation.

"What about you, Harry? How does it feel, knowing you aren't going to have to worry about schooling for however long this is going to take?" I moved over the shield user's side, the teen no longer able to claim being the only one with a headpiece.

"Painful. I was actually Class Rep this year." He let out a breath of suffering. "My grades were doing okay, I was all set for the colleges I wanted to go to." A beat passed. The normally calm source of information suddenly broke into a vibrantly colored rant, one that took the efforts of Kunimittz and Issin to calm down while Klein and Dale defended our front.

"There's around a few handful of words he just said that I have no clue what they mean," I whispered to Choryu, idly following the train of thought that wondered when each person in the group would have their breakdown if they hadn't already.

"I'm pretty sure about half of what he said is actually slang from various anime. I'd be more surprised if you actually understood that all, no offense." A few times during conversations I had to ask for thorough explanations of words I didn't understand, reciting my english speaking origins.

Their conversation slowly died down to something more pleasant, if fully distracting. I looked up at the ceiling, losing myself in the false clouds that drifted overhead. "«Tolbana», huh. Wonder what it's like."

* * *

"How the hell did you guys get through this?!" I screamed, firing off a «Horizontal» while I used my left hand to keep myself mounted.

"Lots and lots of yelling and attacking!" Our guide yelled back, egging the two horses on. When we had left the outpost a few days later, Ms. Mitsui had explained to us that our travel would be plagued by attacks from wolves and goblins.

"Why are goblins riding wolves!?" I ducked underneath a stone, steering my horse to allow access at a mounted enemy that was getting far too close to the wagon for comfort.

"A better question is why do you know how to ride a horse?" Klein lunged out of the holding space, his free hand secured by Dale and Kunimittz. There were still three other horses back at the sizable cabin the redhead was using as an intermediary between «Tolbana» and «Town of Beginnings», belonging to the guards she had brought with her. They had graciously offered to let us use them, knowing that defending from the wagon alone would be difficult.

"I'm a woman of many talents!" I spurred my horse around, charging between two of our aggressors. I swung my blade out in a circle, knocking the two goblins off their wolves. Were this reality, my torso would be aching by how often I twisted to change which side I was attacking. As it was, all I felt was soft war song driving my blood, keeping an eager smile on my face amidst my frustration.

"We're almost at the town gates! Hold out for a little longer!" Like myself, our guide smiled, though hers was notably more fearful than joyous.

"One of these days we're coming back here and killing all these wolves! And I'm going to use all of their pelts for furniture!" Issin cried, slashing at the arm of a goblin that tried to pull itself on.

"Make me a pair of boots! And then a rug or two! And a bone tooth necklace!" I added, bringing my sword down on a riderless wolf that tried to attack my steed.

"Enemies in front! Head them off!"

Being the only one not in the cart, I pushed my horse faster, garnering the attention of the two mounted goblins. When my allies passed into the safe zone, I looped us around, galloping through the faint blue light that extended some thirty yards past the colossal walls of «Tolbana».

I slowed our pace down to a trot, stopped when we pulled alongside the cart. "God, I can't wait until I'm a high enough level that I can kill them all with a single attack."

"Let us watch when you do, yeah? I'd love to see you dismantle an army of mobs all by yourself." Klein let out a groan as he slumped in his seat, resting his head on the wood.

"Thanks for your assistance, guys. I can let you off here if you want, or you can come with me directly to my guild's headquarters and I can give you your reward now." Mitsui (which I was beginning to suspect was her last name) turned around in her seat up front, having gone through the required hassle of checking in with the guards.

"We can go to your headquarters. We still have one of your horses, after all." Harry motioned towards me, the teen having been a rock of relative tranquility during the roller coaster of adrenaline.

With a sound of happiness, the woman brought us through the winding streets of the city, explaining the various parts that we passed. At the north and south entrances of region were the markets. In the south, produce from the farmlands around «Town of Beginnings», the forests around «Horunka» to the southwest, and animal parts from the swamps in the southeast were sold. In the north, various metals were gathered from the mines past the walls, made into useable products at the smiths in the same area.

Her guildhouse was located in the west, nestled into the mountainside. A hub of commerce and trade that had long since coagulated into a single business overseen by our impromptu tour guard.

"There are other people that do business around here, and we don't meddle much in the sale of day to day lives, but when it comes to handling the transfer of goods from town to town, everybody depends on us. We basically keep this whole area afloat." The monopoly Mitsui and her corporation had was a little frightening, but after receiving a quote from her on various materials, I had to admit that it wasn't that bad. At least for somebody capable of hunting monsters for cor.

"And here we are!" It wasn't exactly an extravagant building, or rather set of buildings. The three buildings that stood side by side were simple exteriors made from cobblestone and wooden shutters. An ornately painted sign that proudly proclaimed "Mitsui Trading Guild Headquarters: Tolbana Region" hung in front of the biggest building, the one on our left being labeled "Textiles" and the one on the right "Armory".

"Lady Mitsui! Welcome back. How was your trip?" A middle aged man greeted us outside, assisting our tour guide off the cart while two teens waited for its passengers to exit the wagon.

"Hectic. Something has the goblins all worked up. The guards I brought with me are investigating the forests around «Horunka». Luckily there were some Swordsmen at the outpost who were able to accompany me back ahead of schedule." The two started walking towards the main building, Mitsui calling for us to head on in when we were ready.

"I have the sense she's going to try and force us into doing something." Harry crossed his arms, looking directly at Klein. "Make sure to think about what she's actually saying before we agree to anything. Even if she's an NPC's she's still a businesswoman. Whatever counts as a Charisma stat for her is probably going to be pretty high."

"Even if she did have ulterior motives, it's not exactly like anything that comes out of it could hurt us, right?" Issin leapt off the wagon, stretching. I took a minor amount of offense at the action, considering that I was the one who was riding around keeping monsters off them.

"If she's basically the person in charge of the economy of this area, we might end up getting some pretty good stuff out of it, even if we do end up having a long quest line." Klein tapped his starter sword.

"So all in favor of selling our souls away for a chance to get better gear and other untold goodies?" Issin wrapped an arm around Choryu and me, forming the start of a circle.

"If we get into a situation we can't handle, we're backing out, raise our stats a few levels, then trying again. There's no need to get ourselves killed over a quest." Kunimittz moved next to me, placing his right hand in the center of our semi-circle.

"I'd like to explore the city a little, but if we can get something nice out of it, we might as well do it. Any discount is good, after all." Dale placed his hand in, looking at Klein.

"Okay! So if she ends up suggesting that we do a quest, we take it, and be careful about it." He placed his hand over all of ours, and said something along the lines of borrowing our hands. As one, everybody but me lowered and raised their hand with a sound Klein made, clapping a single time. "Cultural thing, Asasaki. We'll teach you about it at some point."

I raised both my thumbs and forced a grin, slowly backing up towards the door after handing off my horse to one of the assistants. "I'm just gonna go see what the tycoon wants from us now, don't mind me." I had to admit the companionship and unity I felt from that action was fairly neat, but it didn't stop the memories of awkward team bonding exercises from various summer camp jobs I took part in.

Homely was the first word that came to mind when I looked around the building. Everything was made from a dark, rich wood that I was tempted to call mahogany. Vibrant red rugs bordered by intricate yellow patterns that seemed to be based around celtic knots directed the way up the stairs and through the hallways at the end of the foyer.

"Excuse me, Miss. You can't be here without a- ah. Are you with the group that helped Lady Mitsui? My apologies. Please, head this way. She's in the room at the end of the hall." I I followed the gestures of the moderately armored man. It was a little troubling how many guards seemed to be associated with with this woman. Were this reality, the balance of power being so heavily tilted would be grounds to suspect a dictatorship at play.

Torches and ornate vases atop stone pillars marked the passageway at alternating intervals. The place seemed a little too big for a region that was only ten kilometers across. I knocked on the door, waiting for somebody to respond before entering.

"Come in!" Mitsui' voice, as muffled as it was, was just as cheery as the first time I heard it. I motioned for the others to hurry up, seeing them just turning the corner.

"Can I offer you anything to drink? Water, tea, something alcoholic?" she asked, motioning towards a couch.

"Just water or tea will be fine for me." I took a seat at the furthest edge from the door, knowing Klein and Harry would likely want a center seat. Mitsui moved into a different rooming, bringing back a few ceramic cups and a teapot.

"Will your companions be joining us?" I thanked her for pouring the drink, letting it cool down a bit.

"They be here shortly. I went on ahead while they were discussing a few things." The door opened as I spoke, and I raised a hand in greeting, remembering to remove most of my gear via interface when I realized that all of them were only geared with their blades.

"Did we miss anything?" Klein asked, sitting beside me.

"We were just waiting for you before I got started. Anything to drink? We have a few alcoholic drinks if you're interested." Mitsui's voice seemed a little forced for a moment, the normal tone she had feeling more artificial than businesslike. The entirety of Furinkazan plus one repeated my statement, Klein and Issin hesitating for a moment before giving their answer.

After pouring the drinks for everybody, the redhead sat down in a chair she had pulled in. "Remember how I mentioned a reward for you guys as my way of showing thanks? That's still on the table, but considering you're the first group of Swordsmen we've seen in a long time, I'd like to offer you something extra." She met our gazes serenely, taking a few seconds to maintain eye contact before moving on.

"As I'm sure you've figured out, the monsters in this area aren't normally this active. They're mostly limited to the giant Pillar to the north and closer to the mountains. Them being this far out in the fields in such large numbers is something we've never heard of." Mitsui took a deep breath, visibly troubled by the situation.

"What is it you'd like us to do?" Harry's voice broke through the silence, the rest of us not sure whether she'd continue or if we were supposed to interrupt.

"A few things, if you're willing." Mitsui stood up, unfurling a scroll from her desk and showing it to us. "We're here in «Tolbana»." My nose twitched at the pronunciation of the name. "We've posted more guards at our mines in the north as well in the one to the east. The goblins have been slowly encroaching into our tunnels. We don't know where the breach is, but if it keeps up we won't be able to access any more ore to create tools for farming and construction."

She moved her finger to the east by northeast sector, circling the swamplands. "Some of the more gigantic varieties of animals our trappers collect have been popping up more frequently. We'd like to try and take care of them, or even find the source, but with the increased activity of the goblins our militia's being spread too thin to take care of everything."

She swapped hands, circling the forest around a labeled town. "«Horunka» is farther to the northwest from the settlement you were staying at, across the river. The village itself is fine thanks to the carnivorous plants that grow in that section of the forest, but we're worried about how the goblins are getting past there. We've only seen them to the north, sometimes in the swamp lands." Mitsui rolled the scroll back up, setting it back atop her desk. "There's no need to investigate around «Horunka» at the moment, not until our guards come back and give us a preliminary report."

"If we help you, what would we get out of it?" Klein asked, leaning on his knees.

"We're willing to give each of you your pick of some of our weapons at the start. We noticed your weapons weren't really capable of handling the kind of combat you're likely to see. Past that, the most we can offer you is some cor and discounts around our stores." We looked at each other, taking a moment to process the information.

"We'll accept it." At Harry's words, the translucent exclamation mark above Mitsui's head turned into a question mark. I glanced at my «Quest Log» that popped up. The quests «Mine, not Yours» and «Monster Hunting» appeared, detailing that we needed to find the sources of the goblin breach in the mines as well as kill a certain amount of three monsters.

"Head next door to the building on the left. Ask for a man named "Ferghus". He can get you equipped." Mitsui widened her smile briefly, moving off to look through the stack of papers on her desk. Seeing that her programming dictated a cessation of conversation at this point, the eight of us exited the room.

* * *

 _Next chapter should be out by July 21 or 22nd._


	6. Tending the Flames

_I have a general idea of what scenes I want to hit in this story. When I finish the Aincrad arc I might take a few weeks to go through all of "Duality" and see what I can condense or edit to make it more presentable. It'd be interesting if I end up seeing a notable change between the early chapters and later on._

 _I've said this before, but this fic is primarily an exercise and experiment in just writing. While I try to do what I can in terms of consistency, my planning basically consists of "what things do I want to hit in this chapter?"._

* * *

"Talk about being given a bone. Upgraded armor from the outpost, and now at the start of a new quest line we're already given our choice of new weapons? I love this game," Klein chuckled, opening the doors to the road.

"Which raises the question, how bad is the combat going to be?" Harry asked, shielding his eyes from the afternoon sunlight.

"Think we might be able to upgrade our armor more if we're going to be the in mines? Speaking of that, should bring a light source?" Dale held the door open for the rest of us, smiling a little at how I was the only one that didn't need to duck underneath his outstretched arm.

"Follow up question, will we still be facing goblins or will there be other monsters in there as well?" I asked, racing to the door first.

"We'll ask around before heading in then. Speaking of which, did you guys want to take care of that stuff today or put it off for tomorrow and just enjoy the city?" Whatever response was going to follow Klein's question was stopped by the rows upon rows of armor and weaponry.

"I don't know whether I should be impressed or concerned," I whispered, taking in the essential warehouse.

"Hi, how can I help you?" A young girl greeted us, a few pieces of parchment clipped between two pieces of wood in her hands.

"We were sent here by Miss Mitsui. She told us to ask for somebody named "Ferghus"," Harry stepped forward, the noirette focusing all her attention on him.

"Ferghus? One moment, please." She disappeared behind a rack of bucklers, her footsteps drowned out by the sound of light conversation resonating around the warhouse.

A beast of a man stepped out, his arms as thick as my head. "I was told you were looking fer me?" His voice was fairly gruff, a rasp to it that seemed to have been acquired through a lifetime of some inhalation.

"Miss Mitsui said that you could help outfit us with new weapons. We're going to be helping around the area over the next couple days." The beast of a man scratched his chin, looking over each of us.

"Two weapons each. A primary weapon and a back up. You can grab a shield instead of a backup weapon if yer' so inclined. If ye know what 'ju want already, jus' let me know and I'll go grab a selection fer ya. If not, go ahead and take a look around." The man crossed his arms, a small window appearing in my vision stating "quest progress!"

"Hey, wait, that means we can freely spec into whatever we want!" Klein clenched his fists, a wide grin on his face. "I hope they have a katana! That'd be awesome!"

I tuned their conversation out, materializing my sheathed «Short Sword». It was true that having an upgrade would markedly improve my output, but I wasn't ready to part with the last "physical" remnant of my long time friend. "Is it possible to melt down items and use them for other things?".

Ferghus harrumphed before he spoke, massaging his throat. "We 'kin turn most equipment back into ingots, yes, and put that into whatever you want,"

"What do you have in the way of single edged, one handed swords with a hilt suitable for hand and a half?" I asked, deciding to simply hold onto it for the time being.

"Fourth row on the right. Second section back. Don't cut yerself." I thanked the gruff man. Behind me, Klein, Choryu, Dynamm, and Dale stepped up to Ferghus, stating the types of weapons they were looking for.

I made my way over to the described area, stopping from time to time to admire all the equipment. The vast majority were set for those at level ten or above, being made from a steel and with a uniform design.

The weapon I had in mind was similar to a machete; a rounded tip suitable for stabbing, a weighted edge that could deliver strong slashes, a low balance point for ease of maneuverability, and a single edge so I could half sword if necessary. I wouldn't mind a double sided sword, as now that I had gauntlets I could still perform the maneuver safely, but having the single side would mean there would be more inherent momentum in my slashes.

Unfortunately for me, the «Steel Kopis» that met my desires was a level ten item, but it didn't stop me from grabbing one. Towards the back was another variation of the design called an «Iron Dao», curving inward outward instead of inward like the kopis. Each of the racked blades had a length of fine cloth hanging from the hilt. It looked ceremonial in a sense, which made a small amount of sense considering that they were only level five. I picked the weapon up, realizing that in order to make the most of my new equipment I would need to change my weapon skill to «One Handed Curved Blade».

"Those are some nice looking swords, Asasaki." Klein was holding a curved cleaver with an upturned cross guard on the flat side and what seemed to be a straight katana, though I had a suspicion that it was actually something else.

"The Dao is just to hold me over for the time being. I can't use the Kopis yet, not for another two levels. By the way, how do I change a skill to something else?" I opened up my menu, allowing him to see it.

"Just open up to your skills, select the one you want to work with, choose Forget and then choose the skill you want to replace that slot with."

I did as he said, making a quiet pained sound when I removed the skill. I had managed to get it up to level 18 and felt bad starting back from level one. "I vote we don't check out the mines too much today or tomorrow. I'd like to get used to my new skills first."

"Don't worry. Enough of us are going to change our weapon skill that we decided we should all spend some time getting used to the new «Pre-Motions»." Harry led the group of Issin and Kunimittz back towards us, the former holding a warhammer and rectangular tower shield that seemed to be of a high quality while the latter two held a spear and additional pole arm.

"These are the weapons ye want?" Ferghus asked when we all gathered. A prompt appeared in front of me, listing the two items I had chosen. This being a game, I wondered whether we would find better equipment from monsters or if this would be the highest quality we would get for the time being.

"Take care of yer weapons, and they'll take care a' ya. We have smiths in the north that work under our banner. If ye' show them these, you'll get a discount on any work needed." Another pop up appeared, this one detailed that we acquired an MTG Emblem. "Now scamper. I've got inventory to complete.

{ } - { } - { } - { } -{ } - { } -{ } - { } - { } - { }

The trek down the mountainside created the same amount of awe as the trip up, in not more so due to the pace we set. The city (perhaps town) of «Tolbana» had tall towers on the outermost edges, matching the the giant walls that protected them from invasion. As you progressed farther into the center, the buildings slowly became smaller and smaller, stopping at single story constructs at the northern edge where plumes of smoke rose.

"Mitsui said there was a breach in the mines to the east, right? It looks like that's actually within the city walls." Being within a safe zone, those in our group that had made the change over to two handed weaponry had left their weapons stored away in their inventory, the only other method of transporting the large weapons being to hold them.

"We might as well take a peek into there later today then." Klein pointed towards the other mountain peak, grinning gleefully at the falchion model he had ended up chosen for his level five weapon. "We should find an empty lot somewhere though to get used to our weapons first. Mine definitely has a different feel to it."

I knew without a doubt that I would need to change my fighting style with these new swords. They weren't as short as the starter one, and the way the momentum carried was vastly different on top of a new set of abilities I would need to familiarize myself with.

"Should we spend some time just exploring then? If somebody finds a place we can practice in, they can send us all a message." I lit up at Harry's suggestion. While exploring as a group held its merits, I had a far better time exploring at my own pace.

"We can make notes of any interesting places we find, too!" Issin chipped in, showing enough external joy for both himself and Dale.

"Alright, alright! I know when I'm outnumbered. If we don't find anything in say, three or four hours, we'll meet up back here, okay? Keep an eye out for places to sleep or any interesting stores or quests." Klein tapped my shoulder as I started to leave, the other six forming their own groups. "Do you mind exploring with me, Asasaki? I feel like you'll have good luck finding stuff."

"If you want. I'll mostly be sight seeing though. The residential district is supposed to be around the center of the city where all the trade is. I imagine we can find some simple stuff to take care of there." I hopped down the last few steps of the side path, referencing the surroundings to my map interface.

It was surprising to me that the map data for this zone still needed to be completed. Klein explained that if we could find the right NPC, it would be possible to get the rest of the information either for free or by helping them out as had been done in Town of Beginnings.

"I can only imagine the kind of coding making this game required. And there's supposed to be ninety-nine other floors." I twirled slowly as I walked, taking in the architecture. "How much research must have been done to gather the references used for these models." I motioned at all the buildings made from digital stone and brick. "I'd love to see all the concept art that must be tucked away somewhere."

"I wanted to say you having an artsy side is kind of surprising, but then I remembered that you make cosplay." Klein was following behind me, having let me lead the way. The first «One Handed Curved Blade» user of our group had unequipped most of his armor, myself having only removed my headpiece.

"You can only see so much sand, rocks, and mountains before you go crazy. Anything that isn't that becomes amazing after a time." I hung a left at a Y junction, leading us closer the center of the town. "Should we be looking for anything or just explore?" While I was fine with either option, as the leader of our group I wanted his opinion.

"Honestly? I don't really care. It'd be nice to find stuff, but like you said the other day, we're basically on vacation. We might as well enjoy ourselves where we can." Klein gave me a smile, one I couldn't help return.

"I want to find the tailors around here. See what they have in the way of clothing. What I have works for now, but I'd love something other than a single light blue shirt and dark brown pants. Maybe something dark green or navy blue if we're going to be in caves." I pulled Klein to the side, noticing a single horse drawn cart coming up the road.

"Doesn't the city feel kind of dead to you?" The hustle and bustle that I expected from a place like this didn't exist. There was some chatter on the wind, and all the smoke stacks from the various buildings hinted at the population, but the streets themselves only contained the two of us and the occasional NPC sitting on a bench or stairwell.

"I guess this area isn't meant to have NPC's around. They're probably all at the market. It's kind of strange though, considering that «Town of Beginnings» had so many NPC's wandering around." Klein slapped my shoulder with the back of his hand, directing my attention to a building. "Hey, look! Sweets!"

I followed his finger, giving a hum. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get some. Maybe we can get some map information from the owner." I let the scuffled man lead the way, twitching at the soft change in music.

"Welcome to Aria's Bakery!" A young woman with her hair in a high ponytail greeted us, a cheerful smile on her face. There was a falseness to her expression that disturbed me greatly.

"They have dried fruits here, too!" Klein's proclamation drew my attention. At the end of the counter, atop a few shelves of covered items, were single pieces of food meant to label what was underneath.

"This one looks familiar," I said, tapping at a «Golden Papaya». It had no health restoring properties, but it was listed as being incredibly sweet and flavorful. I moved down the shelves, examining each item and debating on the merits of picking something for myself. "Done already?" Klein had purchased a handful of items, sending all but one into his inventory.

"I just bought one of each." He bit into a dried and salted strip of yellow fruit, a bag in his other hand.

"Where'd you get all the cor from?" I backed out of the store, relocating my map screen into the palm of my hand. The NPC had been kind enough to tell us where a few key buildings the process of hearing about it in detail, the general location and outline of the described area would appear on our map. Klein and I speculated that the full details would only appear when we went there in person or found somebody else who already had the map.

"From all the fighting I did with everybody before we met you." I groaned quietly, a surge of annoyance spiking at how he spoke without swallowing completely. "Honestly, if I wasn't in a party with so many people I'd probably be a higher level than you right now."

"I feel like that's a challenge, and I'm not sure if I want to participate in that." The closer we got to the markets, the more NPC's we saw. The majority of them were simply walking from point a to point b, their features becoming unrecognizable after several feet.

"Eh. It's not really a challenge. Though if you want to make it a contest between the two of us on who gets the most kills everytime we go out, I wouldn't mind that. We'll just need to set the drops to share evenly instead of by effort when we do that." I let out a huff of air, hearing Klein go through another piece.

"Shouldn't you be rationing those? Even if we can raise enough cor fast enough, being frugal wouldn't hurt." I eyed the offending piece of fruit, slowly turning my gaze to the man himself.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a mother hen?" Klein asked, affronted.

"A handful of times. And that's the exact reason I never drink with friends, because I usually end up the designated driver."

My companion snorted, dematerializing the rest of the snack away. "You must be the life at parties."

"I was that set the limits. When people started getting out of hand, I was the one who policed them. The higher ups loved me for it, those below me begrudgingly appreciated it." I set a marker for the plaza for reference, set approximately in the center of the city. "This is the place." A handful of large roads connected to this place, and along the edges stalls and carpets of numerous NPC run stores were set up. At our location, the roads seemed to lead directly to the walls.

"You know, when she called this place a "market" a flea market wasn't what I had in mind. " Klein had a point in regards to expectations. Stalls I could accept, carpets less so. It was nice to look at though. The fabrics used for shade and protection from the hard floor meshed together neatly, their hard tones contrasting the white and grey of the streets.

A flash of green floating over someone's head caught my attention. "Looks like we aren't the only players here," I said, nodding at their direction.

"I think I recognize him." Klein broke into a jog, calling out a name. From my distance I couldn't make out the initial conversation, and one side was much more excited about the meeting than the other.

"I didn't think you'd be here so soon, Klein." The other male's voice was deeper than I expected from his face. Perhaps in the later stages of his teen years at most. If I had to be honest, he looked like he belonged in a shojo manga.

"Yeah, we never would have gotten out of that forest as soon as we did if it wasn't for our little developer friend." Klein reached an arm behind me, pulling me forward. "She's had real life training in combat, and a lot of what she knows translates into the game."

I stifled the groan that wanted to come out. "Hi there. My name is Asasaki. I'm sorry for any trouble my Little Brother may have caused you. I'll be sure to bring up any transgressions with our Boss when we get out." I bowed deeply, hiding my smirk at the specific terms I used.

"Oi, oi! She doesn't mean that, really! She's just kidding, Kirito, a shameless prankster."

I smiled serenely when I straightened my back, wondering how "Kirito" would be handling my joke. "If you don't mind sharing, how did the two of you meet?"

"Klein forced himself on me during the first day, He wouldn't leave me alone until I showed him around and taught him how to fight in this world." I brought a hand to my mouth in mock surprise, making sure my eyes didn't portray my mirth. The black haired bishie seemed fairly concerned at what I was insinuating, but whether he believed it to be a joke or truth he was still playing along.

"Oh, my! Forcing yourself on teenagers, Little Brother? I try not to pry into the affairs of those in our Family, but if this is the sort of behavior you're performing during your off time, perhaps we should have a private chat?" I turned my whole body to face Klein, the scuffled man waving his hands frantically in denial.

I let out a snort and shook my head. "I'm only joking. We're not actually Yakuza. I'm a former American military personnel. Don't ask for the story, I'm not willing to tell. Thank you for helping the Ronin out. You ended up saving a lot of lives with that." I offered my hand out, Kirito hesitantly accepting it.

"Ugh, you're horrible Asasaki." Klein dragged a hand down his face. I couldn't resist gently hip checking him.

"You just make it too easy, Klein. You can't honestly deny that you look like a bandit or gang member." While my face held a joking smile, I was internally screaming at our height difference. To me, the impact of my words and behavior was lessened by the fact that I had to look up so steeply.

"Anyways! Appearances aside, Little Miss Developer, do you know where we can get the rest of the map information for this place? We don't mind exploring on our own, but it'd be nice to have that information for everybody else." I took a step back, watching their interaction with interest. As per norm, Klein was friendly, a little overbearingly so compared to Kirito's reserved behavior.

A trade window broke me out of my reverie. "Oh, thank you, Kirito." I accepted the offer for the completed map of «Tolbana», marvelling at the network of roads that weaved in and out of the four main paths in the cardinal directions.

"Like I was saying, if you want to get the best experience, you should head north into the Labyrinth. Take it slow and bring a lot of potions, and don't be afraid to back out or rest in the «Safe Zones» on every few floors. We're pretty much the only people in the city right now so make sure you have your map on auto-complete for future trips." In my head I attached the label of Tour Guide to Kirito, appreciating the knowledge he had of this game.

"How'd you get in here anyway? The guys and I had to cross a plain filled with goblins riding wolves." Klein folded his arms, staring down at the younger swordsman with curiosity.

"Wait, that was you!? I was wondering who was crazy enough to kite all those monsters." Kirito looked between the two of us, eyes wide. "They were all on the other side of the river. I took the road directly from «Horunka» to here. I didn't even come across a single mob."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Tour Guide. I'll make sure to list you under special thanks when I have a chance to put out the next patch." I curtseyed, hands spreading an imaginary skirt. "And no, that's another joke Klein and his merry band of knights," executing a shout of indignation, I corrected myself, "sorry, Samurai! -are pushing on me. I suppose being called a developer would be better than being a beta tester though. At least that way I could claim innocence of just doing my job instead of running away." I brought a finger to my chin, humming.

"And what's wrong with being a beta tester?" I heard Kirito ask, his voice level. Beside me Klein shuffled nervously.

"Nothing, at least on my end. But I imagine that a lot of people aren't too happy with them. I understand that this is a death game ruled by numbers, and that resources are kind of scare, but you would think there would be a group of testers that would have banded together and made a school of some sort to catch everybody up to speed." I waved a hand lazily towards Klein. "I mean, there is that guide to the first floor by that "Argo" fellow, but a simple book doesn't do much for combat. You need to actually go through the motions and get used to having somebody else try to kill you. Theoretical can only do so much."

"I see." I took in the gazes of Klein and Kirito, connecting the dots of the latter's knowledge of this world. I tapped Kirito on the forehead, recognizing the similarities between his behavior and one of my younger cousins.

"Don't worry about it too much, Kirito. Beta tester or not, so long as we all help each other out, does it really matter what we do in our private time? We're all still trapped here, as wonderful as this world may be." I spread my hands above me in a stretch, drawing on the single semester of Theatre I took back in high school to emphasize my words.

"She may be blunt, but she's right. When it comes down to it, we gotta stick together. We can't get out of here all by ourselves, whether that means scouting ahead or carrying the noobs!" I grunted when Klein pulled me in beside him, debating on whether or not I should punch him in the stomach.

Kirito smiled weakly at us, raising a hand. "I need to get going. There's monsters on the way to the labyrinth and I don't want to get caught outside when it gets dark. Be safe, okay? And message me if you have any questions."

The two of us waved at the retreating swordsman, a few seconds passing in silence before either of us spoke. "So is that the cute girl you've been messaging late at night?" I asked, leaning towards Klein.

"W-what?!"

"Before you go to bed you spend a couple minutes tapping away at your interface. I assumed it was a conversation based on the waiting you did before typing again." I walked over to the fountain in the northeast corner of central patch of grass, sitting so my back was to the "sun".

"You noticed that?"

"I'm a light sleeper, even if I fall asleep easily. Your arms rustled the hay fairly often." The sound was somewhat annoying for the first few minutes it woke me up, though by the last few days we stayed in the outpost hearing the tapping of his fingers was comforting to me, a sign that at least one person in my group was alive.

"Sorry about that. But I was sending progress reports to Kirito. Sometimes I'd ask him for advice on things. That's actually how I found out about the skill slots." I grunted at Klein's explanation.

"How does it feel, knowing a little tyke is better at the game than you?" I asked, kicking my legs.

"Considering that little tyke is the one that taught me how to survive here, not that bad. Shame that he's so bad at socialising though." I nodded at his response, visually tracking an NPC walk down the road.

"Should we use this place as the meeting area?" I asked, making a copy of my map data for «Tolbana».

"That sounds good. What do you want to do in the meantime? We still have at least an hour or so before we're supposed to gather."

"I wouldn't mind getting used to my new «Sword Skills». It's not like there's a clearing I can use." I gestured at the grass between the lone tree and the fountain and drew my sword. "Looks like you get to teach me some more stuff, Scruffles." I resting the blade on my shoulder, making sure that its angle didn't match the required «Pre-Motion» I'd seen Klein used for a dash attack.

"Sure thing, Little Miss. Now, there are five basic skills that you should have unlocked…"

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"You were right about the light source. They have a few torches set up in the main corridors, but none where they suspect the breaches to be." After meeting in the central plaza, Choryu, Issin, and Dale led us to an inn, the eight of us pulling together a few tables for our conversation. Like myself, Harry had kept nearly all his gear equipped, the only missing pieces were his headpiece, shield, and arm guards.

"We should take a look at the smiths around here. They might have lantern shields." I waved my loaf of bread around, tearing off another piece. "They're basically giant gauntlets with a shield attached so you can still use your hand to hold stuff. Like say a lantern."

"Would it really be worthwhile to try and use those?" At my urging, Issin was trying another type of tea. This one I had found during my wanderings back in «Town of Beginnings». There was a hint of mint to it, a sweet smell rising from its water.

"Maybe not. We'll essentially be having to bench someone though. My fighting style won't let me be able to use a lantern in tandem, so I'm out," I responded.

"We've already made the switch to our two handed weapons. I don't think we'll be able to hold something and still use them." Dale folded his hands, looking at Issin and Kunimittz.

"I guess I could hold a lantern. But that'd mean either Harry or Dynamm would have to drop their shield for the time being or to try and use that shield type Asasaki was talking about." Klein scratched his head. "We don't need to worry about it for now though, not since we'll be sticking to the maintained areas."

"Oh right. We met up with a beta tester. He said that training in the labyrinth tower would be the most efficient in terms of experience. We should think about going in there a few times to level up. Maybe we could gather cor from the monsters in the mines and in the field up north and stock up on potions before we head in." I scrolled back up the "themes" option for my interface, selecting the design that would put a rectangular chain border around all of my windows.

"Mm. It might be a good idea to do that. Most of our items aren't useful until we hit level ten, and having higher levels would make the quests here easier." A round of agreement met Harry's response.

"Did everybody take some time to read through the «Pre-Motion» requirements for their new abilities?" Klein washed down the last of his breath with a chug of water, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

"Our new «Polearm» skills seemed to be based around crowd control with a small mix of offensive skills." Kunimittz moved his screen around, revealing it to the other side of the table. "Should make our formations safer. Either the two of us or one of us alone can help keep monsters under wraps."

"So I guess we go look through the markets then for those shields? We have only an hour or two before it gets dark, but since we'll be inside anyway maybe we can stay out later?" I played with the straps on my left vambrace, wondering why I seemed to be the only one who had decorated material.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's have a good hunt, guys!" I couldn't help but raise my fist at Klein's proclamation, the others joining in after a moment.

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I shot forward with a «Reaver», impaling the level 8 «Rock Golem» on my sword. The skill would normally send you past your target, the coding behind the attack dealing damage without colliding with them, but intense focus on your mark as well as subtle motions could change it into a stab. Using normal attacks against these monsters had very little effect. Only «Sword Skills» could hit them hard enough for any effort to be worthwhile.

"Joints!" I called out. As we were still in the lit region, Harry and Klein decided that it would be okay for us to break off into groups after learning from returning "miners" that the only monsters that spawned in the eastern tunnels were slow, hulking rock creatures from which they got their materials from. I had been paired up with Choryu, the group believing that I would be able to teach him a few things about the "Assassin" class. Unfortunately the info we had didn't specify that the monsters were walking damage soakers, and I had been forced to give my partner a crash course in attacking vitals.

Mr. Trendy stepped around our target, clambering up it and unleashing an «Illusory Bite» enhanced slash. Some experimentation revealed that the majority of «Dagger» skills could be used as enhancements instead of mere system controlled attacks though another skill called «Ophidian Benediction».

The method to do so required moving the user's free hand to their side with their fingers slightly cupped, their knuckles pointed at the ground. From there, any one skill whose «Pre-Motion» had been recognized would be saved to the blade for three seconds, unleashing any damage it would have dealt normally on top of the normal attack. We weren't sure why there was an ability that let «Dagger» users do such a thing, but the two of us suspected there would be skills or weapons in the future that would combine wonderfully with the skill.

I kicked off the golem with my left foot, hopping back and moving my sword to my hip, unleashing a «Parting Clouds», the «One Handed Curved Blade» variant of Slant. Like all abilities from the «Curved Blade» line, it was shorter than «One Handed Sword» skills by a meter or so, dealt variable damage depending on the distance it connected, and had notably less duration in both the attack time and the «Post Motion».

While my Strength stat wasn't particularly high, my reaction time and ability to have my attacks deflect anything the Golem tried allowed us to take each monster (around six feet in height) without any damage on our end. Attacks that clashed didn't result in health being taken from the defending side, so long as the attack used to counter was either equal in strength or diverted the attack. What mattered was that the end product did not result in the two attacks struggling against each other for supremacy.

The punch from the animated collection of earth crashed into the ground beside me. Were it not for the numerous wooden support beams that ran through the tunnel, I would have been paranoid at the possibilities of a cave in, though with how high the halls were I wasn't sure if any rock falls would be unclimbable.. Regardless, it was something I needed to bring up with the group.

"Hraah!" Choryu swung his «Iron Dagger» down in another «Illusory Bite», a line of silver shooting out and sheering off the offending limb. Between his Strength stat and the low base damage from the dagger, it took at least two hits to break off the limbs. Being the defender in our two man unit, I was unable to launch any offensive attacks, the range of my abilities and the «Post Motion» preventing me from connecting at the shoulders.

This was our third time facing off against a «Rock Golem». The first time nearly ended in total failure for myself, but a full retreat and downing two potions allowed us to try again. I fired off another upward «Parting Clouds», this one from my left. A thrust from Choryu followed up, the lightish red of «Hidden Tail» breaking through the last section of the physical binding for the golem's right shoulder. From there it was a simple matter of alternating who was attacking. With its lack of arms and constant change in gathered aggression, the construct was unable to retaliate.

I flicked my sword to the side, bringing up my interface. "Twenty percent already." I sighed and closed out of my windows, making note of the two «Copper Ore» I had received. "How's your weapon durability?"

"Only about 10% is gone. I bet yours is so low because you're canceling the attacks. Even if you're not taking damage, the weapon must be." Choryu moved to my side, swinging his weapon through various drills I had taught him back in the forest.

"I wonder if doing the quests in this game requires you to be in a party. I can't imagine how hard it must be to fight your way through here all by yourself." I tugged my companion to the side, enveloping us in shadows. While the «Rock Golems» seemed to detect enemies based on tremors, practicing stealth never hurt.

"What are we waiting for?" He whispered, crouching against me.

"I want to see if it has a scouting program coded in or if they're just stationary." The beast didn't move much. At most it would shuffle around from time to time, taking a few steps in either direction before teetering around to face the other way.

"When it turns around again, we'll strike. Stay in its blind spot, I'll keep its attention." When the golem took a few shambling steps back into the darkness, I shot out, unleashing «Harvest», the curved sword variant of «Horizontal». The yellow of my attack copied itself from my blade onto the torso of the «Rock Golem». In the time it took for it to turn all the way around, I was able to unleash «Pierce the Sun» at its head. The system moved me into a rising strike from a crouching position and was one of three thrust abilities the curved blade was able to use at my level.

Choryu bought me time to create some distance during my «Post Motion» with a rapid series of «Fad Edge», a horizontal attack with short range that could be chambered into itself multiple times. With the change in aggro, the «Rock Golem» faltered, long enough for me to execute a «Reaver».

"Head!" I yelled, hopping into a backwards roll to avoid the responding kick. Choryu slipped off to the side, leaving me to engage the beast in a series of exchanges. Every strike dealt less than 5%, even with the system assisting me..

When I noticed the «Dagger» user reach the creature's head, I ran in and worked my way down its leg with «Pierce the Sun», «Twilt Horizon», and «Summon the Moon», leaping back up to around its upper thigh with «Sparrow in Flight». The creature's health bar began plummeting rapidly, Choryu unleashing a flurry of blows.

I pulled myself up on an outcropping, lightly kicking off its body and bringing the vertical attack «Lumbar Desecration» down its torso. The two of us backed off, balancing our attacks to ensure that I was the only one holding aggression for any attack. In time our efforts shattered the creature, Choryu catching his fall from its head with both hands.

"Nice work. It looks like the lit area ends here. We should head back." I held my fist out for Choryu to bump, my smile increasing slightly when he tapped it. We were the first back at the junction, and I took the time to practice my «Pre-Motions» using my «Short Sword». Being a weapon of a different class, the motions didn't recognize, allowing me to move into each motion without unleashing any skills.

The sound of footsteps pulled my attention to the rightmost path, Klein and Dynamm greeting us. "You guys get forced back?" Klein asked, his sheathed blade resting across his shoulders.

"If we went any farther we would've gone past the explored areas. Maybe we could have gone farther in, but I doubt even Asasaki would be that good at spotting things." Choryu sheathed his dagger, smiling at me with a wide grin on his face.

"She probably would've just patched in some torches." I snapped my fingers at Dynamm's remark, the statement bringing back the image of the support beams.

"We should be careful when we go farther in. At least with my method of defending against attacks, it's entirely possibly we'll have to deal with falling rocks against «Rock Golems»."

"Yeah, we noticed that too." Klein dematerialized his weapon, crossing his arms. "Dynamm and me had to keep swapping out for tanking. I was able to block most of the hits, but even then I'd get knocked back a bit. I ended up having to chug a potion to keep going. And let me tell you, the ones around here are disgusting." The potions back from the forest has a sweet taste to them, and went down smoothly like a milkshake. From the way Klein was describing it, the potions from around these parts (listed as «Basic Potion» compared to the «Herbal Tincture» from Hilde) were gooey and kind of clumped together. Going down your mouth was nothing but pure saturation of bitterness.

Several minutes passed by, Choryu and I working on our patterns while Dynamm and Klein rested. I looked over from my motions, modifying my pattern to include an upward block to mimic a wave when Dale and Kunimittz appeared. "Welcome back, guys. How many did you kill?" Above their heads I watched their health bars slowly inch back up from the yellow.

"Six. Our path had a dead end. Two «Rock Golems» respawned on our way back," Kunimittz responded. I couldn't keep the click from escaping my mouth. Klein had lorded the fact that he and Dynamm had managed to kill five of the monsters.

"The potions from here," Dale trailed off, his face falling. "They're not that great."

"I know, right?! It's like whoever made them just had the general idea of how to make potions and cobbled together the closest plants they could find from a handbook!" Klein raised his arms as he spoke, his face contorting with every syllable.

"See, Choryu and I wouldn't know how the potions from here taste because we didn't get hit," I said, humming to hide my laughter.

"Didn't you take two potions though, Asasaki?"

"You're ruining the joke, Choryu!" I whirled around to face the «Dagger» user, pointing my sword at him.

"Don't worry, Little Miss. One day you'll be Queen of the Ninjas." My other hand twitched at Kunimittz's quip.

"I'm older than you!" I yelled, eyes widening in disbelief.

"But you're still shorter than us by a huge margin" Klein took advantage of my shock, wrapping an arm across my shoulders and rubbing his knuckles against my head.

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I shifted my weight from my right foot to my left, staring down the path the last two members of our group had taken. It had been a good twenty minutes since Dale and Kunimittz had rejoined us. The six of us had all taken some kind of stance of nervousness, be it shuffling around, inspecting our equipment, or constantly looking at the hall in the case of Klein and myself.

"I'm going to check on them." Klein stood up, brandishing his sword. "It's been way too long. Even if their path is the one that extends the farthest, they should've been back by now."

"Don't think you're going alone, Klein. If something's holding them up, you're going to need all of us." I moved to his left, telling Kunimittz and Dynamm to join up with my party. The four of us would have the quickest speed when we inevitably found our wayward duo. Klein and Dale could snag the initial attention while my party would be able to support Harry and Issin, breaking off to deal with whatever issues they were facing once we arrived.

"Be smart, be safe, and don't be a hero. We're rescuing two people, there's no need to make it more. Klein, Dynamm, Dale. Take point. Choryu, take the right side and flank what they control if it's safe. I'll take the left. Kuni, support where you can." I opened up my quick access bar, moving the screen to my lower left. Even if I didn't end up taking damage, having access to my potions and restoratives was a good precaution.

"Er, right." There was a silence that lasted a few seconds after my statement, Klein's gaze lingering on me longer than necessary. "You heard the lady. Let's go."

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The path Harry and Issin had taken was eerily quiet. No sounds of metal on stone, no rumbling, or screams or shouts. Nothing. Only our footfalls echoed through the halls, paranoia turning the seconds that passed into hours.

"I see something," Klein whispered, holding a hand up. Up ahead a colossal golem stood guard, its head only a few yards from touching the ceiling. If it raises it arms so that they were parallel to the ground, it could bend its elbows and still touch the ceiling.

At its feet were a duo of golems that seemed both slimmer and yet bulkier than the normal golems. Where the standard «Rock Golem» was a hodgepodge of columns and boulders, these bipedal constructs looked as if they were wearing suits of plate armor chiseled from stone.

"They're on the other side," Dale murmured, his map visible in the palm of his hand.

"Got a plan, Lady Asasaki?"

I hummed at Kunimittz' question, slowly shifting from side to side to get a better view. "If they're not moving, they must be overlooking something. Harry and Issin aren't moving, right?" At Dale's response, I motioned for everybody to gather. "Kuni. I want you to use some long range abilities. We need to drag the attention of the big one away. Dynamm, Dale. Work together to block or deflect any attacks. Choryu, Klein. We need to slip around it once the big one's attention has been gathered. I'll grab the attention of the two small fry. They should be slow enough that I can handle the two of them by myself. Figure out what's going on with Harry and Issin, then send them to help Choryu and me deal with the knights while Klein heads back to help against the big one."

I downed a potion for paralysis reduction. Whether through my own fault or through an attack, I didn't want to succumb to any kind of stun. "Hopefully they don't respawn. If they do, we'll work on keeping their attention while you guys chip away at the giant. Don't be afraid to call out a retreat. We may have new weapons, but that thing is still a hulking behemoth of stone."

I walked to the side of the wall, motioning for Klein and Choryu to follow me. Our shield user and both of our two handers made their way forward in a triangle formation, waiting to see when the creature would respond. With a jerk, the beast started stepping, its torso slowly turning to face them. "Move!" The words lurched from my lips, my body shooting forward with the single intent of providing a distraction for Klein and Choryu to investigate what was wrong.

The sounds of clattering rocks sprinkled all around, Kunimittz' guttural yell bolstering me forward. I crouched forward, still sprinting forward, my hands flared out at equal angles to the ground. When I felt a mental click, I surged forward, soaring towards the «Mountain Golem Sentinel» with the leaping uppercut «Sparrow in Flight».

The health bar of the armored beast barely budged. If I had to hazard a guess, it was a mere 2%, but my strike seemed to inflict a small stun on the creature. The other construct turned its attention towards Klein and Choryu, suffering a left-right «Harvest» and «Reaver» in quick succession.

The distance covered by the dash served me well, allowing me enough time to recover from the «Post Motion» before the two sentries attacked me. The duo attacked in tandem, advancing forward with alternating punches to turn me into paste. I humored their efforts for a few steps, reversing a back step and lunging forward with «Pierce the Sun», a golden line connecting the gap between my dao and the spartan esque helmet of the golem.

When the delay ended, I braced myself on the construct's right shoulder with my left hand, twisting my body to vault behind it. Upon landing I flared my sword behind my back, the tang parallel with my spine. A hefty 8% had been chipped away with that attack, and I filed the information away as a vulnerable point.

"Asasaki! We're leaving! Not enough resources!" Klein's voice dimly reached my ears, the song of battle propelling me through every dodge and side step.

"Go! I'll hold them off!" I cried back. I dashed up the right arm of the same golem I damaged earlier, slashing the edge of my sword against its head before reversing my momentum into a single spinning leap that carried me behind the other sentry, a right left «Parting Clouds» slashing down its helm.

The «Acrobatics» skill served me well in multiple ways. Occasionally the double digit level of the skill would cause me to falter at the start of a dodge, resulting in a flubbed landing that took me an extra moment to recover from. In my youth I had been fairly active, my friends constantly egging me to race them through various obstacles they had determined ahead of time. I had enough experience from those races, knowledge that allowed me to dance on these pitifully slow opponents.

"Just think of it as a painful game of dodgeball!" I told myself, rolling through the legs of the golems once they fixed their facing. My torso twisted with each «Twilt Horizon», the red wound of my horizontal stab glowing more and more vibrantly with every successive strike. "And out-" I tucked into a ball, rolling back in front of my target before swinging around its leg. 'We go!"

The other golem had just fired off its attack. I would have approximately two seconds before its other arm, primed to snipe me in my run, would fall. I lifted my blade up, its hilt fully resting on my shoulder. When my right foot hit the ground, I unleashed the sword skill, the thin orange line driving me past the leg of «Basalm, Seneschal of the Mountain».

"Don't mind me! Just dodging giant hunks of rock from the goddamn mouth of Lythos himself!" I leapt to the side, dodging a falling stalactite that had no right to exist in this hallway. The trio I had assigned to the position of forward had done their jobs well, keeping the titan incarnate facing towards them.

"You're telling us?! The damn thing won't let us get anywhere near it!" Dynamm turned to run with me, being the one chosen to stay behind until I arrived. "Every attempt-"

"If you can talk you're not running fast enough!" I shouted, modifying my stance to propel farther. Even when the earth stopped shaking I didn't stop running, slowing down enough that if something happened with Dynamm I could assist him.

Eventually the start of the fork came into view, Klein conversing with Harry and Issin. I huffed, reducing my pace to a jog. Behind me, Dynamm was wheezing, making it the rest of the way to the group before bracing himself on his knees.

"Come on, Dynamm. I've said this before. Crouching like that only ruins your recovery time." I reached around him, lifting his hands above his head. "Deep breaths. I'd rather have you do a cool down, but right now I don't think that's possible."

"Thanks for the save, Ninja Princess. Heard all about how you took charge from Klein." I took a deep breath, choosing to ignore Issin's newest nickname for me.

"I can't believe that appeared this early. This game's balance is completely messed up. A random AoE attack from the ceiling that has no indicator aside from moving its hands to punch the roof, tremors within two meters of its feet every time it takes a step, and random firing boulders from its body?" Kunimittz shook his head. "If it wasn't so stupid it stopped being funny I'd pin this on the GM's trying to punish Asasaki for buffing her agility stat to stupid levels. That or she's a walking bad luck charm."

I stiffened at that last bit, forcing my arms to relax while I guided Dynamm back to a stable breathing pattern.

"I think we triggered an event somehow. The walls were shaking from time to time as we walked through that pathway. I don't know if there was a trap we activated, if it was kill count based, or just the wrong place at the wrong time." Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Their targeting range only extends a certain distance from the big one though, and only whichever direction he's facing. Issin and I were able to figure that much, at least. If we stepped forward, the sentinels would start advancing towards us. Stepped back, and they returned to their post about five meters away from the Seneschal. That's why we couldn't leave. And it turns out that in a dungeon you can only talk with those in your party. We got notifications that our message weren't able to go through."

"Helmets are the weak points for those sentinels, by the way. I think I must have hit whatever counted for their eyes. One of my thrust skills chipped around 8% of its health off." I patted Dynamm on the back before raising my hands above my head, cracking my spine while I basked in the lingering adrenaline rush.

"Fat load of good that'll do the rest of us though. We're not as athletic as you, Asasaki. But thanks for the info." Klein smiled, garning a simple hum from me in response.

"All in favor of heading back to the inn? I've had enough of this cave for one day." Issin groaned, massaging his neck with a hand.

"Sounds good. We'll talk more about this in the morning. That was way too much excitement for our first day here." Klein lead the way out of the mines, the NPC's stationed at the entrance greeting us stiffly when we passed.

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"Asasaki, are you awake?"

"Mmmrm?" I groaned, my eyes slowly opening. Choryu and I had decided to share a room together, finding the cost to rent a room individually to be too expensive for our earnings from the day.

"Sorry. I can't sleep. I keep thinking about that fight today."

I breathed deeply in response, calling forth my interface with a half hearted swipe. Inside a room that was recognized as a place to sleep, it was possible to fully dismiss all your windows through a series of presses via the «Options» menu. Bringing it back was as simple as summoning your interface normally, and until a designated time arrived, dismissing your menu wouldn't bring back the entirety of your interface until you stepped outside the room.

"How do you do it?"

"M'gonna have to be more specific," I mumbled, pushing myself into a sitting position.

"When we saw those giant golems, how were you able to charge in like that?" In the darkness, I could only make out the outline of Choryu's form, the former office worker staring up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head.

"I've been in combat enough times to not care." I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I would need to wake myself up more in anticipation of a serious conversation. "But for somebody who's not as used to the rush of combat, the fear of what might happen if you didn't respond quickly is a good motivator." I took a breath, laying back down and mirroring the position I assumed Choryu was in.

"If I didn't take charge of the situation, Klein would probably have been fine on his own. He would've organized us into about the same formation, might not have assigned us the way I did, or might not have been as cautious as I was advising us on the way there, but he would have brought us there nonetheless." I closed my eyes, replaying the scene in my mind.

"But I doubted he would have been as commanding. I doubt he would have been as precise in issuing commands. That's why I wasn't so restrictive in my plan. I have a general idea of what we're each good at, so based off that I assigned us to certain things. Dale, Dynamm, and Kunimittz can help protect each other against any attacks while still dishing out damage. Klein, you, and I are fairly quick on our feet, and between Klein and I we can hold the attention of any monsters long enough for the others to figure out what happened." I moved onto my side, facing Choryu's bed.

"I moved the way I did because I was confident in what I had done. That the roles I had assigned would be carried out as best as they could be. I didn't need to worry about failure because Klein's group is so tightly knit that if anybody faltered, the others would pick up the slack. How could I even entertain the thought of messing up my role of keeping attention if that's what I need to compare myself to?" I closed my eyes, a smile finding its way onto my face.

"I said it back in the forest, and I'll say it again. If you can't believe in yourself, believe in the ones that believe in you. It's not just yourself you're fighting for. You're fighting for those around you. The people you're spending every day with. The ones who have your back as much as you have theirs." I shifted, waiting for a response. When none came, I slowed my breathing, ready to fall back asleep.

"You're amazing, Asasaki," his voice whispered.

"But I'm still human. Never forget that." I took a deep breath, letting myself go into the embrace of sleep.

* * *

 _Next chapter should be out July 29-30th._


	7. Abberations

_I'm not quite certain, but I think I just spent however long it took from midnight to sunrise writing up the last 2k words of this as well as editing the whole thing. Thank goodness I don't have school right now._

* * *

I hummed to myself, waiting for the NPC smith to finish the process of turning the armor and weapon drops I had received from the Ruin Goblin scouts and raiders. The gear was of pitiful quality, their stats even less than the leather equipment we had received from the outpost near «Horunka». Turning them into scrap metal was the most efficient use. When Harry went to try and sell them, the individual gold was less than the drops from a boar near «Town of Beginnings».

Every since Monday morning, we had been running on full cylinders. Before noon of the 28th, our group had completely mapped out one of the four paths in the eastern mines, defeating the mini-boss «Targ, the Goblin Berserker» located at the end.

It was an arduous and protracted battle, the monster being a walking durability sink with a dual health pool and ridiculous amount of defense compared to the two «Mountain Goblin Invaders» that spawned every fifty hits. The leader also had an annoying ability that only I had activated; if somebody attacked more than two times in three seconds, it would break free of any kind of controlling abilities inflicted upon it as well as resetting the amount of gathered "Hate", dealing a blisteringly fast backhand to the offender that had reduced my health by forty percent.

The plan from there had originally been to leisurely explore the Tower, but when we had arrived back in «Tolbana» we had found several groups had arrived. Realizing we were no longer able to advance at our own pace, Klein and Harry had rushed us to the dungeon, the only stop we had made before heading over was a short thirty minutes break to get our equipment repaired and stock up on supplies.

From that evening to this morning, the six of us had managed to clear a full seven floors, sleeping overnight in the safe zone on the fifth I asked them about their surprising amount of zeal, they told me it was because of their pride as gamers. Being among the first people to the city and the labyrinth, it was our exclusive privilege, nay, our right! Klein had said, to go as far as possible.

The loot we acquired from what few chests we found by accident helped drive me forward. Any chests on the core path that were empty were attributed to Kirito, him being the only person we could think of that had been able to progress faster than us.

Around noontime we had called it quits, slowly making our way back down for want of repairs and potions. Our sibling leaders of moral and intelligence had given us all a bit of free time before we grouped up again, and for once I found myself alone.

"There you go, M'am. Everything's been turned into ingots, just like you asked." I thanked the young man, adding a little extra cor on top of the required amount. I still wasn't sure whether the NPC's were taking offense or not at the action, and I had yet to notice any change in behavior. Until I saw otherwise, I planned on continuing tipping through sheer habit.

With players roaming nearly every street, the peace and quiet of «Tolbana» that I had only started to become accustomed to was shattered. It wasn't exactly bad, I'll admit. The surge in chatter had given a liveliness to «Tolbana» that no amount of coding could replicate.

I laid down underneath the tree in the central plaza of the markets. Between the hard floor of the safe zone on the fifth floor of the tower, the surprisingly hard pace Klein and enforced, and the caress of the artificial sun, I was fully willingly to give myself in to the grasp of sleep.

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A single eye cracked open, focusing on my my clock interface. My nap had lasted around an hour or so, the commotion of the new populace keeping me in a state of semi-consciousness that had effected my dreams.

"Aren't you supposed to be a hard ass military veteran?"

"I'm trying to reintegrate back in to civilian life. Naps in the middle of the day is something you people do, right?" I twisted my body, kicking a single leg out to the side. The euphoric crack of my back failed to sound, but it didn't stop the pleasure of a good stretch from crawling up my body. "Why'd you wake me?"

"I managed to set up a meeting with the Information Broker. Thought you might like to meet her." Klein held a hand out for me, assisting me onto my feet.

"Would be nice to meet somebody sentient with significant amounts of estrogen in them. You guys are nice and all, but I was starting to think I was in one of my old units surrounded by all that testosterone." I spread my legs shoulder length, curving my body in another stretch. "What are you trying to do with her?" Klein's look of surprise was met with a raised brow.

"Weird phrasing. Since we managed to get up seven floors, we wanna see if she'll buy our map information. Remember how we traded our maps around to complete as much as possible?"

I nodded, recalling the several instances we spent passing around tied up pieces of parchment with clarity.

"Argo's basically the database for any information in this world. We can't look anything up online, but for a price, you can probably buy it from her. There's a note in the guide she was selling at some of the NPC stores back in «Town of Beginnings» on how if we have information we think could be useful, we should try and meet up with her and she'll see if it's worthwhile."

I closed my mouth moments after opening it. During my rest, bits of conversation has still reached my mind, namely the desire to race through the labyrinth. Thinking on it, the information we had seemed valuable, especially considering we seemed to be the group that had gone the highest so far. "That explains why you lied to that group about how high we went," I muttered, recalling the two groups we had passed on the way down that had asked us for any advice.

"I know it's a bit of a smarmy tactic, but there's a very good chance we could get some cor out of this. If we're the first group back, we might be able to sell all seven floors for a good price." Klein led us up the path I had originally brought us down on the first day we had gotten here, pausing around three quarters of the way up to bring us to an overlook, complete with twin trees and a stone bench.

"So when is she supposed to get here?" I looked around the terrace, realizing that the view from here had an extravagant view of «Tolbana». On the left, a stairwell wide enough for two people to walk abreast of each other snaked its way down several flights.

"What if I told you I was always herE?"

I jumped slightly at the sudden voice, annoyed at myself for the brief moment my look of distaste at the odd nasal inflection appeared. "I'd call you out on your superlative statement, but applaud you for you delivery." Klein and I turned around. Before us stood a blonde woman with a hooded shawl, a pair of adobe whiskers drawn on her face. To my unending frustration, she was also taller than me, but thankfully not by much.

"Why thank yoU." She chuckled, her narrowed eyes darting between me and Klein. "I know who he is, but I don't think we've ever meT."

"Isn't the custom supposed to be introducing yourself first?" I asked, my mouth rising into a challenging smirk. I felt Klein smile beside me in nervousness, likely over-imagining the playful banter the shrewd woman and I were having.

With a nod, the woman I suspected to be Argo spoke up, confirming my suspicion. "I specialize in gathering and selling information and I plan on collecting all the information about monsters, quests, and stores from each floor and publishing them for the masses to use to prepare themselveS."

I returned her decision not to bow, curious as to whether it was an attempt at a power play. "My name is Asasaki. Klein and the other in his group sometime refer to me as their Little Ninja Princess or Little Miss Developer." I smirked at the coughing my statement incited from Klein. "That's just a front for reasons I'm not allowed to tell you," I flexed my middle and index fingers with that last part, softening my facial expression. "If anybody asks, I'd like for you to tell them to use their imagination."

"500 coR," she immediately stated.

"Perhaps another time, then." I took a half step back, realizing that her statement on selling information was perhaps her entire business.

"So what did you want to talk to me abouT?" Argo directed the majority of her attention to Klein. While she wasn't looking at him, the positioning of her torso among other subtle cues was more than enough for us to know she was listening.

"We wanted to see if you would be willing to buy the critical path information for the first seven levels of the Tower to the north. We could also tell you about some information about the monsters we encountered." It wasn't the first time I saw Klein shift gears from his normal goofy behavior to that of a serious leader. I doubted it would ever lose its appeal for a good long while.

"Based on the way you worded that, it doesn't sound like you went out of your way for the complete maP."

"No. We were focused on leveling and getting as high as we could." Klein leaned back against the brick wall, staring up at the false sky. "We might end up trying to fill out the rest of the dungeon later though, for grinding purposes."

I stroked my hand over the wall on my side of the barrier, marveling at the pitted texture as opposed to the smooth feeling I had first expected. The word "grind" was one Klein and the others used from time to time, and as far as I could tell referred to the process of spending a length time on a certain thing i.e. wearing away the durability of our equipment on monsters.

Argo gave a dismissive hum. "If it's only the critical route, then I'll pay you twenty cor for each flooR."

"Only twenty cor?" Scruffles' face bunched up, his mouth pressed together in a frown. "How about a little more? There was eight of us in the group."

"Ten cor per person per floor," I suggested. "That would be the bare minimum one person might get escorting somebody through each floor."

Argo's gaze turned downward, running the calculations in her head. "Since it's only the main path, I'm willing to do 280 totaL. That's half of what you're askinG. And remember there's still the information on the monsters if you can tell me enough about theM."

I stilled my throat. Attempting to negotiate for a better price on the map data would be seen as overly greedy thanks to her words.

"That's fair." Klein materialized a copy of the information we have put together, initiating a trade with the broker.

"Thank you kindlY. When I put forth the next edition of the first floor guide, would you like to be put down in the list of thanks at the enD?" As grating as it was, I was starting to become desensitized to the way Argo spoke. Because of how odd it was though, I wondered whether the quirk was intentional or something she had developed by accident and could never kick.

"List us as Furinkazan, though use the kanji for woods instead of forest." The base translation of the phrase they were using for their group name was known to me, however I had no clue as to what significance it held.

Klein waited for the young woman to stop typing before speaking again. "We came across three different types of goblins. Ruin Goblin Sentries, Scouts, and Raiders. The scouts and raiders use daggers and single handed weaponry, as well as light leather armor and chainmail respectively."

The raiders and sentries had been annoying for me to go up against.. My «Iron Dao» was primarily a slashing weapon; any attempts for my normal attacks to count as a "critical" had to be through the neck or by random chance with a «Sword Skill».

I spoke up, picking up the small pause Klein offered. "They're quick on their feet and their attacks come out fairly fast, but they have very noticeable tells in regards to their wind ups. They stick to the basic planar skills for their weapon types if they use them at all, with little deviation in the degrees to their attacks." I moved my hand vertically, horizontally, and diagonally as a demonstration, making sure Argo caught the attack recognition stances.

"The Sentries wear laminar metal armor and have large round shields. Their stats are high all around but you can get an extra hit on them either through aggression switching or by countering their assisted attacks with your own." I nodded at Klein's words. Though we had been using the tactic ever since the forest, it was only recently that we started referring to its shorthand form of "switching". "We didn't start encountering them until floor five, and then on floor six and seven only sporadically alongside at least two other goblins.

"Definitely bring extra weapons into the Tower," I said. "Even as a group of eight we had to turn back for repairs." I traced the etching that bordered my vambraces, wondering if the designs would be lost if that piece of equipment was damaged. Any pain that was felt in this world was nothing but creations of our own mind. The worst that happened was a lack of feeling in areas that were significantly injured, such as a sword piercing through your abdomen. "Oh, and so far nearly every monster seems to adhere to the idea of "if it'd hurt on a human, it'd hurt on them"."

"So an assassin type monster, a fighter, and a durability sinK. Weak points are what you would expect from most creatures, bring extra weapons, and a safe zone on the fifth floor, is that righT?" Klein and I nodded in unison. "I'd say that's worth around 200 coR. If you have any more information I could be persuaded to give a bit morE."

I took a long breath, trying to recall anything else of note. "Up until we got past the fifth floor, all the monsters were under level six. There was a small difference in how many hits they took before falling as well as their output, but for the most part the change wasn't that big. We were a party of four to eight for each encounter though, so our strategy was extremely favorable." I hit my chestpiece of my fist twice. "Also, it should be fairly obvious but the armor of the Sentries and reduces the amount of damage normal attacks deal by a significant amount unless you managed to get past it in which case you'll probably have dealt a critical blow. «Sword Skills» don't seem to suffer the debuff though, but the chances of dealing double damage is entirely dependant on your dexterity stat and the values of your equipment."

We were only able to learn the levels of our targets thanks to the skill Choryu had picked up called «Scan». It allowed him to see the exact numbers of a monster; how much health they had, their levels. By repeatedly using the basic ability (forming a box with his thumb and pointer fingers that framed his target) he was able to build up more information, including the exact names and stats of their gear, what «Sword Skills» they could use, and on the «Ruin Goblin Scout» the bestiary he could access through the skill (as well as copy and trade to others) had listed the exact conditions to throw the monster off balance for an unchallenged attack.

The presumably younger woman hummed, dismissing her current window with a flourish. "I'll add an extra twenty cor, theN." Klein and Argo entered another trade, shaking hands at Argo's request. "Pleasure doing buisness with yoU." My fellow blonde stared at me for a few seconds before opening another screen. "Go ahead and add me to your «Friend List», AsasakI. I have a feeling we'll be meeting fairly often in the futurE."

I tapped the white circled bordered by blue on the screen that appeared, skimming through the line of text above the buttons for accept and deny..

"The next edition of my guide book will be distributed at the inns around the central plaza as well as the major NPC run stores in the marketS. Look for it in about another day or twO. Some of the groups that went into the Tower made some deals with me before heading in for info, but since you got here ahead of time I decided to give you two a chance." Argo waved both her hands, leaning forwards as she stepped back. "See yA~"

I returned the gesture, waiting until she walked out of sight to speak up. "Was her voice a grating to you too?"

"A bit. I got used to it back in the «Town of Beginnings» though. A lot of the information she was giving out back then was for free since so few people knew what to do." He laughed with embarrassment. "I think I'm actually the one that ended up making her create a guide with how often I tracked her down to ask stuff."

"From Kirito, to you, to Argo. Funny how little things add up." I leaned forward onto the wall, staring out at the city. "So what are we planning on doing? If we head back into the mines, I'm sure we could get everybody to level ten and make full use of all our gear. But the Ruin labyrinth has the best rates, and we might be able to get more cor if we complete the floor maps."

"I'm thinking we push our way up through the Tower. Maybe once we hit level 15 or so we'll head back to all the quests around here. That should keep us safe from anything that might one shot us." Klein was facing the other way, staring up at the mountain side. Looking at the snow capped peak, my mind drifted to the Mountain Seneschal Basalm we had faced yesterday.

A chill ran down my spine at the thought of a moving mountain. How long would a fight with it take? "Are we doing anything else today?" I asked, banishing the nightmare.

"We're probably going to stay overnight again at the safe zone. I told everybody to grab supplies so we can stay around two days." I frowned at his words.

"Two days inside a giant stone tower filled with creatures that want nothing more than to tear you limb from limb, erasing every trace of your existence from this world."

"Welcome to the life of a dedicated gamer. Fun is found where you make it." He grinned toothily, his head tilting to look at me.

"I'd like to amend my statement from earlier. You're not a civilian I should be attempting to emulate. You're a social shut-in. You're all social shut ins, and I thank you for putting up with me." I took a few steps back, gauging the effort I would need to make the jump. "Send me a message when we're ready to go. I'm going to wander around the city." I flicked my hand up in a wave, vaulting over the railing and leaping down the handrail of the stairs.

"Stop showing off, dammit!" Despite the chastising tone of his voice, I beamed at the laughter that chased me down.

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I smiled to myself, recalling the the fiasco that was my first performance. Our lead had rolled his ankle the day before and was unable to walk without a limp, forcing our female understudy who had not modified the lines for the change in gender to step up to the plate. During a final run through before the doors opened, one of the dresses had torn on a prop, and when it came time to deliver a verbal punch line, an actor had to be reminded by a stage hand. As far as memories went, it was definitely one that got better with age.

The amphitheater in «Tolbana» was on a grassy plateau on the western side, angled so that the Tower to the north served as a backdrop. The place was coated in dust, and the brick wall from which actors entered from was crumbling in several places. Once upon a time this place must have been filled with laughter, the eyes of every attendee enraptured by the performers.

"You." A woman's voice cut through the silence, demanding attention in a way only somebody spoiled by their class could.

"Me." I leaned my head back, puzzled at why somebody would initiate a conversation so rudely.

"I was told that the information broker had arrived in «Tolbana». Tell me what you know of the Pillar to the north." I stared at the figure, wondering whether I should correct their assumption. Aside from a single tendril of auburn hair, all their features were hidden by the brown cloak they wore.

"I'll tell you what I know, but in exchange you buy me lunch." I rolled onto my front, pushing off the stone bench. "It'll be cheaper than actually paying me for the info, and you'll need the extra money for supplies." It seemed like something Argo would say; hopefully my attempt to seem friendly would quell her impudence. I hopped up the seats, mindful not to step on the actual seating areas. The redhead kept her gaze on me for several moments before gesturing for me to lead.

Leading the stranger back into the heart of town, I found myself admiring her posture. There was a forced rigidity to it, the kind that came from resentful obedience to a superior. I was sure that if she took a moment to let her guard down, she could easily make the shift from businesswoman to model or beloved celebrity.

Though the two of us received plenty of attention as we walked, female players being a bit of a rarity in this world, nobody dared step up to us. I supposed it was due to the individual presence we each had. On my end, I was smiling, twirling around every few steps as took in the sights while making sure my cloaked companion was still following.

"Are we there yet?" She demanded. Even with her body sequestered under the digital fabric, her general body language still exuded a frosty aura.

"We'll be there in time. Confidentiality is something value until the right questions are asked." I hung a left, heading north of the central plaza. Dale and Issin had come across this place on their own. It was a diner tucked away in a dizzying web of turns that specialized in fruit desserts alongside the standard pork and root based meals that seemed commonplace for this floor.

"Get me the pork steak and scorzonera dish." I could have ordered it on my own, but I didn't feel like putting in the effort if making the trade for the costs. "Oh, and a glass of water."

"How do I do that?" she asked after a moment.

"You can either raise your hand while looking at one of the NPC's or hit that crossed knife and fork button on the table." I looked away from window, my brow furrowing. "Where did you normally get your food from?"

"I collected the fruits that fell from the trees back in the first town."

I hummed in response, not sure what I could say that wouldn't aggravate her defensive behavior. "Feel free to ask any questions." I drummed my fingers on the table, watching her actions through the corner of my eye. "You don't mind if I answer while I eat, do you?" I asked when the dish arrived.

"Go ahead. What sort of monsters are up ahead?"

"In the plains between the north wall of «Tolbana» and the forest path surrounding the entrance of the Tower, nothing spawns. Occasionally «Errant Manti» and «Giant Wasps» appear close to the tree line, but that seems to be a result of players luring them out, whether by accident or on purpose." I went into detail on the «Ruin Goblins», ticking off my fingers for each specific bit of information.

"I don't suppose I could have that in writing?" Her voice was subdued compared to before, matching her marginally hunched posture. It was hard to tell whether that was a result of being given proper information or if was her realizing that she was acting fairly haughty.

"Give me a minute. While I get that for you, mind pulling up your equipment window for me? I want to make sure you can actually survive in there." I moved my «Notes» to the side and started typing the abridged version, belatedly remembering that I never visited a blacksmith for information regarding the «Stinger Fragments» I had picked up.

I let out a mirthless puff of air through my nose at her next question, delivered with all the embarrassment of a puppy being punished, wondering if Klein felt this annoyed with me back outside the starter town. "Top left of your screen. Looks like the button for "Restore Size" that you'd see on a window screen for a computer? That works for all screens, by the way. If you do it on the main window it'll reveal your entire interface, but if you do it on a single one then you'll share only that screen."

I bit off a piece of the brown, carrot looking root, the taste of oyster faintly coming to mind. "No good. You might be able to get away with that equipment south of here, but in this region you need to get your equipment up to at least level 5. Regular attacks barely even scratch the health bars of the armored goblins, remember? Only «Sword Skills» do any real damage to them."

The girl, who I was believing to be in her teens based on her mannerisms so far, only had the starting equipment. No upgrades of any kind were done to the simple chestpiece or sword. "There's a couple of blacksmiths in the north. Upgrade your equipment to at least level five. In most cases, metal gear will be «Iron», and for leather based things you'll need to take a look at the details to make sure. Definitely bring a surplus of items though. I was part of a party earlier and we only managed to make it seven floors before having to retreat for repairs."

I held out my hand, materializing the notes on everything we had experienced so far in the Tower as well as my map information. "Do you know how to work your map interface?" I withheld my sigh at her denial, guiding her through the process. "Keep your map open with that setting turned on. If you get higher than the seventh floor, you can see about trying to sell that information to any of the brokers. If you're lucky, nobody else will have gotten as high as you."

I tapped my cheek, resting my chin in the crook of my thumb and second knuckles as I tried to figure out if I had forgotten anything. "Don't be a hero." It was always safe to end a briefing on that. "If you don't think you can get through a risky situation, don't take it. You're no good to anybody dead. Take breaks where you need to, and learn the patterns of your enemies. They can't hurt you if they can't hit you."

The redhead nodded, standing up. "Thank you for your time, Argo."

I raised my hand in dismissal, chewing another piece of the odd root. "Any time."

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I knelt down in a side lunge, mentally stretching out my leg muscles. I taken to wearing the long black cotton cloak I had bought during the first or second week in this world. Aside from Argo, the red head I had met some four days ago, and myself, nearly every player I had seen in «Tolbana» was male. Walking around without any kind of concealment usually led to boisterous men chasing after me, shamelessly vying for my favor.

I couldn't rely on Furinkanzan to help me, though not from lack of trying. There was simply too many things we each had to do to that assigning me a retinue was impossible. We had arrived to the conclusion that I would just need to wait it out. Boys would be boys, and I had just had to wait for them to realize that I was a fighter like them and not a mere piece of eye candy.

"Guys, I'd like for you to offer a warm welcome to Asasaki and her companion Choryu. They'll be joining us in our push up the floors today. I know they look like assassins, but I have it on Argo's word that they're depending folk." The blue haired shield user Diavel gestured to us, my fellow "ninja" copying my stretches.

The entirety of our group had reached over level ten in the past few days, myself ready to breach twelve by the middle of this week. The original six of Wind-Woods-Fire-Mountain had decided to fully map out the first ten floors or so. The majority of those that entered the Tower cared little for full clears, deciding instead to rush as fast as possible in order to escape this world.

It took some convincing to get Choryu to join me, the primary motivator being that the «Ruin Kobold» monsters on the higher floors would grant us more experience and cor than the Goblins Klein and the others would be hunting. In the end relenting, thanking me for granting him more one on one training.

"For communication purposes, I'll be partied up with them, but they'll be advancing on their own to scout ahead." Diavel had originally been unable to understand our idea, but after thoroughly explaining what Choryu and I planned on doing he accepted. It helped that we agreed to automatically give him 50% of anything we killed. "Okay, guys! Let's have a good hunt!"

I led Mr. Trendy into the dungeon, ignoring the text that appeared at the top of my vision reading «First Floor Labyrinth». "Make every strike a kill move. Take down weaker targets and follow my lead on armored ones. I'll take targets on the left." I tugged down on the hood of my cloak. The action served no purpose aside from initiating a change in mental state. Earlier I had messed with my settings so that any time I had a hood on it was guaranteed not to fall off unless I removed it myself.

"I feel kind of bad for Klein and the others. We might end up poaching their monsters if their rotation intersects with ours."

"They'll live. It's basically their day off. I'm sure they'll understand." The two of us shot off, running at a speed that I suspected Choryu would never be able to maintain in real life. Any monsters we came across on the core path were killed in short order. My «Steel Kopis» had its weight focused in all the right places, acting much like an axe whenever I slashed at my targets. With pointed tip slim enough that I could jam it through weak points, I was suited to dealing with both armored and unarmored opponents.

#First path cleared. Heading to second floor.# Messages could only be sent to players in your party that were also in the same floor. The look of understanding when Diavel realized his party of twelve would be completely fresh when we passed the fifteenth floor had been well worth the long winded explanation I had to give.

"Hey, Asasaki?"

"What's up?" I surged forward with a pommel jab to the lone «Ruin Goblin Scout», the opening move of «Comet Cannon». In the small gap between the strike and my follow up dash, Choryu followed up with the weak but long range «Illusory Bite». When I had realized the effects of that particular two hit strike included a brief moment of «Stun» on my target, I had drilled the «Dagger» user in recognizing my «Pre-Motion». It wasn't something that happened all the time, but his positioning to my 5th or 7th allowed my actions to be visible within his peripherals.

"What do you plan on doing on your free time? I hear there's a couple players back in «Town of Beginnings» that have picked up a production type skill for their second slot instead of armor or a support class, if not both slots entirely." Choryu flipped his blade into the air, catching it in reverse and moving back to my rear. Like most people who hadn't had reality beaten into him, the concept of a reverse grip was extremely appealing to his inner child, actualizing the desire of living the life of a movie star.

"Maybe cooking. Or sewing. Possibly an instrument. Depends on what kind of interfacing there is for those actions. I've yet to see any kind of cooking actually done. Even Hilde back at the «Horunka» outpost stepped behind a curtain to make potions out of any supplies I gave her." I manually controlled the next few monsters we came across, grappling them into a position that would allow Choryu easy access to their weak spots. Attacks that were made without the assistance of the system would always be a critical if you attacked the right location; «Sword SKills» seemed entirely dependent on your Dexterity stat as well as a few values in equipment that we had yet to access.

#Second floor cleared. Rushing to fifth floor. Meet you at Safe Zone.# It took a few tries for the message to send. "Remember to abuse «Ophidian Benediction» once we get to the fifth floor," I murmured after a kill.

"I know. And to move with with the «System Assist» for anything I don't do on my own." Choryu's voice was broken up between breaths. Even if this world changed your performance based on your stats, the minimum still seemed to be based on what you mind perceived as possible. "I distinctly remember you yelling at us when we drilled before heading into the Tower yesterday." My lips twitched into a small smile, the event in question vividly playing in my mind.

"I'm glad you boys can pick things up quickly. Makes my job easier. As fun as it is going drill instructor on people, it's better to move on and do actual work as quickly as possible." Upon breaching the fifth floor, I broke into a sprint, holding my «Steel Kopis» at my side with the image of the required stance for «Birth of an Island» held in my mind.

When our next obstacle made itself known, I slid into a full stop, turning my body perpendicular to the «Ruin Goblin Sentry». My blade moved to my navel, it's sharpened edge pointed towards the ceiling. I braced my right hand with my left, holding the position for a fifth of a second before following through with the forced motion.

The «Sword Skill» carried me the last meter and a half, my blade shining a dark orange finding itself embedded up to its hilt in data. I stepped with the next motion, adding my own strength to the familiar upward wrench.

In the .2 second delay I found myself in, Choryu followed up with a charged «Draconic Bane», his «Steel Misericorde» slipping the needle esque blade through the eye slit of the goblin's helm.

I slipped back in with another «Comet Cannon», the second hit sending me past my target much like «Reaver» would. I trusted in Choryu to catch up to me, the personalized training I had given him having proved useful in the past few days. With the knowledge of how to manually land criticals, Furinkazan's kill speed had improved dramatically. It wasn't as graceful as my own executions, but in time they would reach the brutal elegance with which I dispatched my targets.

A couple minutes later, Choryu joined me in the safe zone, self righteous anger written across his face. "Hey, nice job on finishing off that Sentry. Knew I could count on you."

"You left me to die!" He screamed.

I calmly pointed at the bar above his head. "And yet I notice that your health is still pristine. It didn't dip a single time while you were handling that walking suit of armor. Beside, you didn't even face a single extra monster on the way here."

His anger diminished slightly at my words. I cut off the rant he was about to say with a rebuttal of my own. "I understand why you're mad. And believe me, when it happened to me, I was too. But remember that we're in a party. I can see your health bar so long as we're in the same one. If you had taken even a single hit I would have returned."

I rocked into a sitting position, turning to face him with my fists resting on my knees. "Even if we're stronger than the forest, even if you guys know how to fight better than before, we still only have one life. People die when they're killed here. It was a cruel test, but one you needed. There are times when you're all alone. So you just need to trust in yourself to hold out long enough for help arrive."

I softened my expression, meeting his gaze directly. "You're doing wonderfully, Choryu. I'm proud to have you as my six." A technical lie. The dependance on numbers as opposed to contest of actual skill kept me from fully trusting any single person from performing their job adequately, but as far as next best options went, I was happy with partnering with the men of Furinkazan.

The noiret let out a sigh sitting down beside me. "I'm still mad at you."

"I know."

"But thank you for putting up with me, Asasaki."

I smiled ruefully, recalling that I had said something not too dissimilar to Klein several days ago. "Don't worry about it. It's a wonderful thing, helping others. Even if they don't always appreciate it."

"You're starting to sound like my grandmother." Choryu grumbled.

"Hey, I'm not that old, you whiny little millennial!" I let out a snort, glad I was able to use that line again. "But continue." I waved my hand towards him, wondering why he compared me to one of his elders.

"She was always going on about how we have to do things we don't like to get to the point where we _can_ do the things we like. Like agreeing to an arranged marriage. She hated it at the time, but she learned to put up with it. And in time she had three kids who each gave her grandkids, and in time some of them gave her great grandkids." The man who I felt would not have been out of place with a pair of glasses looked up at the ceiling, the light orange flames of the safe area casting shadows across his face. "I hope she's still alive when I get out of here."

I took a breath, steeling myself. "M'not gonna lie, Choryu. You should probably prepare yourself for her death if she's as old as I'm thinking. Start writing down the stories you remember of her. That's the best way to honor somebody. Keep their stories going. The details might change as time goes on, but their essence will always be there." We fell into a comfortable silence for several minutes, Choryu repeating a few of my stretches.

"Asasaki, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you? I feel like you're in your late thirties with how much of a teacher you've been to us, but you act and move like somebody in their early twenties.

I hummed, deciding to take the speculation as a compliment. "I'm twenty seven."

"Eh? Really?" My potential protègè stared at me. "I can see it, but that's actually kind of surprising."

"Careful, Choryu. I can only ignore potential insults so much."

"Ah! Sorry, sorry. Ignore me, just thinking out loud."

I let out a puff of air, pulling out a bag of salted meat. "Should snack on something before they arrive. We're supposed to be pushing up to the top of the dungeon today. Word from the beta testers say that we only have some three floors to go before we scour the 20th for the boss room."

The race to the end of the first floor Tower had been a back and forth competition between our group and two others. Our eight man team had the benefit of a trained combatant and six players who were used to dungeon crawls. Most stairwells to the next floor were found by us, but on occasion or when we decided to rest in the «Safe Zones» that seemed to be placed on every fifth floor, it would be another group that was able to get ahead.

"Oi! What are you two lazing around for?! We didn't let you tag along to goof off!"

I combed a length of hair that had come out of place, massaging my ear with my thumb in the same action. The rough voice belong to a pompous man named Kibaou. Harry had informed me that his speaking pattern that emphasized vowels was what was known as a Kansai accent. It was somewhat softer on the ears, but was very jarring after having been exposed to the Tokyo accent of emphasized consonants.

"It's called resting. I know as hardcore gamers it's not something you do much, but just like real life, preemptively taking care of fatigue lets you continue longer. You're no good to anyone if your mental capabilities reduce your physical." I prayed that my tone wasn't taken as goading. Arguments where one side was unaware that it was simply a heated discussion were never fun.

"It's okay, Kibaou. We've made excellent time. Lady Asasaki and her companion know what they're doing." Issin had accidentally dropped his Little Miss Developer line while introducing me to Diavel when we were both resting on the 10th floor safe zone. Ever since then, anybody who recognized my uncovered appearance had been attaching the title of "Lady" to my name, though based on the way any of my original companions straightened their posture when travelling with me and acted like bodyguards I had my suspicions that I should be replacing the title with "Princess".

I stood up, dematerializing my bag of snacks. "Now that you're here, we can get going again. Like before, please wait a minute or so before following after us. The monsters are a little more annoying to get through, but we won't have any problems dealing with them." Just like dealing with a DI back in boot camp. Do whatever it takes to not stick out. If it means sucking ass, so be it. Better praise than condemnation. You can always spin it around to try and gain favors for your unit.

"Come on, Choryu. We've got goblins to kill."

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I crouched under the spinning two hit strike, surging up with a leaping «Pierce the Moon». My cooldown period would last longer than the ability of the «Ruin Kobold Trooper», but Choryu was trailing me like an after image. Had we several months to train together, it was very likely the constant swaps between our two rabbit esque targets would have seemed heavily choreographed, incorporating the use of rolls and assisted swings to slowly enhance every strike. As it was, my companion was being pushed to his limits to keep up our tempo.

"Final blow!" I called out. The two hit strike of «Birth of an Island» allowed me to view Choryu's target, a triangle formed by jutting red lines visible for a scant moment before twin shatters resounded in my ears.

I had slowly been increasing the speed of my strikes, using my «Sword Skills» only when I needed to counter the usage of our enemy's. This particular moment had been born out of pride. There were several instances, whether in reality with a squadron or when playing with my cousins, that I had performed an action at the same time as another, perfectly synced without any planning.

"I hate you and you're evil!" Choryu let out a sobbing groan, his mind not yet used to the concept of being able to ignore what his "body" was telling him should be impossible.

"Everybody started off making mistakes. It's better to get them out of the way now instead of somewhere that might end up fatal." I moved into a light jog, bearing left. Once we had gotten past the mapped areas, we had continued leading the charge, letting Diavel know which paths we took. Annoyingly, none of the twelve members of the group we were accompanying offered to join us, and we had been forced to push at a hard clip in order to keep an even pace on these higher floors.

"We could die here! How is this not potentially fatal?!"

"Because I'm here. And we have potions. Or at least I have potions. And you get to lead this next one," I said with a cheer. I slowed to a stop, keeping my blade in front of me in a general stance, ready to compliment whatever move my companion made.

"You," the noiret ran in, his arm across his body, holding his dagger by his cheek while his left hand curled into a cup shape. "Suck." Choryu struck out with a thrust to the inside of the giant's right thigh, «Ophidian Benediction» delivering the minor stun and bleed of «Draconic Bane». In the small gap provided by his strike, Choryu slipped between the legs of the six foot tall rabbit eared Kobold, leaping onto its back with the special property of «Stalking Prey». "So much!"

My sword flitted from side to side, its neon gold length superimposing a horizontal line across the creature's gut. I dashed forward a single single step, bringing myself just in range for the upward stab «Pierce the Sun». Given their lack of armor, it made sense that these giant conies would fall in so few hits, but it didn't stop me from questioning why they would have been designed so large.

"See, was that so hard?" I collapsed all the windows that I had shoved to the side of my vision, deciding to sort through them when we next took a break.

"No. And as thankful as I am for your assistance, I am not appreciating this trial by fire methodology you're using." Choryu made to sheathe his dagger, halting mid motion and settling for crossing his arms.

I sighed. "Alright. I'll try to be less Do or Die." I continued running at a short clip, pausing at the stairs to inform Diavel were the point of divergence to the 17th floor stairwell occurred. "Would you have been less stressed if we had a full team of four as opposed to just me?"

"At the risk of sounding offensive, yes. I know you've probably gone through all kinds of near death experiences, but I haven't. I'm still waking up every morning expecting to head in to the office and chatting to my co-workers about the latest anime we watched over the weekend."

I pursed my lips, resting a hand on Choryu's shoulder. "I wish I could say it'll get better. That this is all just a dream. But it's not. We're going to be here for a long time. You can hold on to your memories and ideals of the real world, but you need to remember exactly where you are." I grinned in a sardonic manner. "I keep having to call myself by my real name whenever I stare into a still body of water to remember that I'm not actually in a war zone where I need to stick to a code name."

"That's right," Choryu's gaze lowered to the floor. "You introduced yourself as Dawn on that first day, didn't you?"

I forced my expression into something more amicable. "That's right. Dawn Lakewood. You're welcome to call me that if you want."

My companion stammered, looking everywhere but at me. "Ah, Fujimori Haru. Either one works fine."

"Haru, then." I smiled softly. "Come on. We've still got three more floors to clear."

As I padded up the stairs, my mind wondered if establishing such a personable such a personable relationship with somebody I hardly knew was a mistake.

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I raised my voice, pointing my finger at the rear profile of the black haired male I vaguely recognized. "We never added each other to our «Friend List», Kirito."

The young bishie froze, gently lowering whatever he was dragging to the floor. "Klein's friend, right?" He asked slowly.

"Mm. Asasaki. We met earlier this week." I leaned to the side, looking around the younger male. "Where'd you get a sleeping bag from?" I blinked rapidly, the hooded figure within it catching my attention. "Whatever you were going to say, hold that thought, I have a more pertinent question. Why are you dragging somebody around in a sleeping bag?"

"Er." Kirito looked the side, a mixture of annoyance and resignation waltzing over his features. "She passed out a few tunnels ahead. I didn't want to leave her there for the monsters to kill, and my strength stat isn't high enough to carry them and all the loot I have. If I dragged them across the floor without anything to protect them, she'd probably get damaged."

I stepped over to the bag, peering at the head. Due to system mechanics, their face was entirely covered in shadows. Only a single lock of red hair was visible, resting peacefully at the nape of her hood. "And she passed out, you said?"

"Yeah. She was soloing her way through the labyrinth. For the past three or four days she said."

I lowered my head and rested a hand on the forehead of the girl I had nearly condemned, breathing out a curse. "Choryu. I had a hand in this girl's condition. I'm obligated to help out, but as my partner I'm leaving it up to you to decide on whether we keep assisting Diavel and his group on finding the boss room or help Kirito get this girl to a safe place."

"We help Kirito," Choryu answered instantly, gesturing towards the black haired «One Handed Sword» user, "bring her all the way back to «Tolbana». Two of us can carry her while the other keeps any mobs off us."

"You okay with that, Mr. Bishie?"

The swordsman nodded, a single grunt twinged with embarrassment accompanying the action. "I'm pretty sure I could have managed it on my own, but thanks for the help. I'll carry her from the front."

"You want to carry her or protect us?" I made a soft noise of realization. "Choryu, this is Kirito. Kirito, Choryu." The two greeted waved at each other, their attention quickly returning to me.

"I'll help carry her. You're better at controlling monsters than I am." Choryu moved to the other side of the girl, picking the bag up by the corners.

"We just cleared the path here form the stairs. I'll head back and let Diavel know we're dropping out." I broke into a light run, keeping my weapon at the ready in case I came across something that had wandered in from another path. I slowed down as I approached the stairwell, moving to the side aftering hearing the chorus of foot falls.

"Something happen, Lady Asasaki?" The blue haired shield user stopped on a step below me, waving the rest of the group to continue on.

"We came across somebody that passed out in a dangerous area. We're going to help transport them back to «Tolbana». We won't be able to help out on the last two floors." In the corner of my eye I noticed Diavel's health bar disappear, the man raising both his hands in a placating manner.

"Don't worry about it, go ahead and get them out of here." There was a glint in Diavel's soft smile that was out of place with his friendly tone that I didn't like. "When they get better, ask them for their map information. They might have gone places we didn't." Diavel took a few steps before stopping. "Thanks for your help, Lady Asasaki. Having an extra group to explore really helped us out today."

"Good luck," I responded, continuing down the stairs.

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I stared at the night sky, waiting for Choryu and Kirito to join me. Immediately upon exiting the Tower I had sent a message off to Klein regarding our situation. He had responded with a reminder that there was a safe zone in the forest, and that we were better off spending the night there instead of attempting the trek during the night.

The sound of a creaking door sounded off behind me, ending in a loud thud. "Change of plans," I said, turning around.

"What's going on?" Kirito lowered the bag onto the ground. Behind him, Choryu stretched out his back, fruitlessly yearning for the satisfaction of cracking joints.

"We're going to have to spend the night in the safe zone within the forest. If we try to make it to «Tolbana» we'll have to fight through aggressive monsters. I'd rather not risk getting any of us killed." In order to kill all the monsters on the way down in a reasonable time, I had to take several hits into order to land a significant blow of my own. My stock of potions had been nearly depleted as a result.

" I think we can make it. Even if it's night, not that many monsters spawn in the fields north of the city."

I shook my head. "It's not the monsters in the fields that I'm worried about, Kirito. It's the monsters in the forest. Their detection range is basically doubled, and they're less likely to break off once you reach far enough into the fields. We might be able to make it, but it would be cutting it far too close."

The swordsman gave a pained look, clearing disagreeing with my decision. "If that's what you think is best."

I looked at Choryu and Kirito, gauging their appearances. "Either of you want to swap out with me for carrying her?" The two males shook their head.

"We can handle it. I think you'll need to keep fairly close to us though in case anything comes our way." Choryu knelt down, his brow creasing. "When people pass out, how long does it usually take for them to recover?"

"No more than a couple minutes at most." I followed his gaze, realizing the issue with that statement. "Tell me exactly what happened." I stared into Kirito's eyes, bringing the full breadth of my experience as a sergeant to bear.

"What do you-"

"Tell me exactly what happened when you met her. What you saw, what you noticed, everything."

The teen flinched, taking several moments to gather his wits. "I was clearing the floors on my own. When I came across her, she was fighting a «Ruin Kobold Trooper» on her own. She only used the rapier ability «Linear», even when she could have finished it off with a normal attack." He looked down at the girl, his look of controlled fear morphing into something wistful. "It was idiotically beautiful. I've never seen somebody so reckless yet precise in their attacks."

A pause. "She said she didn't leave the Tower at all, that she slept in the safe areas. They're not meant for actual sleep, you know. They keep the monsters at bay, but you can still hear them walking around. It's like the rooms were designed to funnel noise into them. " I kept my thoughts to myself, recalling how Klein and the others had trouble falling asleep until I had proposed a rotating watch schedule.

"I think she passed out from lack of sleep than any injuries. Her cloak wasn't in the best of shape, and she was had multiple weapons of the exact same make. I don't know where she got it in her head to fight so dangerously." I schooled my features, taking a deep, controlled breath instead of wincing.

"It's probably a really good thing she's in a sleeping bag then." I shook my head, sighing. "We should hurry. Even if I have to deal with the sound of buzzing wings and growling wolves, I wouldn't mind sleeping myself." I set a marker on my map for the safe zone, leading the way through the forest.

* * *

 _It felt a little weird writing this up the first time around. The basic outline that I had was really jarring. This chapter is basically a collection of one shots that I tied together with the edits. Hopefully it feels like something that flows naturally. Also, fun fact! When I started this off I thought I had a few more in character days before things started kicking off with the first floor. Nope! The first people arrive in Tolbana on Sunday November 27th and on Sunday December 2nd they clear it! From there nearly every single floor gets cleared within a week except for certain ones later on. Gotta love timelines._

 _Next chapter should be up August 4th-5th_


	8. Stable Foundations

_Man, I tell you. It's crazy what sleeping on something can do for you. There were several scenes that were just painful to write, but when I told myself "Just let it out, you can always make it better with the edits" it became easier to get through this._

* * *

Around half an hour ago, when the rays of the sun bounced off the ceiling and lit up the forest, the noise of all the monsters had temporarily ceased. In their place birdsong had started echoing around, with the leaves dancing in the wind.

The morning weather was fairly temperate. A bit of a surprise considering that only a week ago I had woken to a minor hypothermia debuff back in the outpost near «Horunka». Our group of three had ended up forming a loose semicircle around our fourth member. Choryu and I had fallen asleep laying down, while Kirito had stayed awake for some time, before falling asleep with his head supported by the sheathed blade between his hands and feet. It was a position I expected from somebody by a loved one's bedside to be in, one I knew only somebody in their youth would be able to pull off without any repercussions when they woke.

I tapped my party member on the cheek, pushing the surprisingly elastic flesh back several times until he responded to my ministrations. "It's morning. Sleeping Beauty hasn't woken up yet, If she doesn't wake up by the hour, we're going to continue towards «Tolbana». Do what you need to be functional."

Choryu grunted blearily. I imagined it was fairly difficult for the two males to get any rest, or at least one of them considering how the black haired teen seemed to be at utter peace in his hunched position. Throughout the night the sounds of buzzing wings and padded footsteps had molded my dreams. Whenever I had woken I needed to remind myself that I had no need to worry, and that I was safe regardless of the lack of a watch.

"We didn't get that much in the way of items, did we?" I muttered, snacking on the last of my supplies. In order to convince Diavel to let us join his group, we had to adjust the settings for the party system to automatically grant the blue haired shield user 50% of any gold, drops, and experience we had gotten.

"Everything we got are just commons, too. Armor fragments, pieces of cloth. At least the «Kobold Troopers» dropped some decent weapons we can use for enhancement," Choryu whispered in consideration for the two sleeping teens. To make things easier on ourselves, we had set up a common loot tab via our «Friend List». Any items that were assigned to us were automatically dropped into the tab, its weight evenly distributed between the two of us. The feature was something that Harry had brought up, having realised exactly what it could do during our second trek into the east «Tolbana» mines.

"Correct me if I miss something, but the attributes you can enhance for weapons are Accuracy, Sharpness, Durability, and Heaviness, right?" I asked from my seated position.

Choryu pulled out his copy of Argo's guidebook, flipping through the several pages of information that had been collected. "You missed out on Quickness. And then everything but Heaviness has no "physical" impact on the weapons. Those stats only influence the numbers of your equipment."

"I think I might modify my Quickness and Durability stats, maybe my Sharpness if I have the choice. The monsters we've been facing in the deeper parts of the mine and Tower hit really hard if you get stuck in «Post Motion»." I called forth my kopis, bemoaning the fact that its sheath was made from leather and was of no use as a weapon.

"I think I'll do that same. With what you've been teaching me, I don't think I need to worry much about the system granting me critical strikes." Choryu looked over at the slumbering form of Kirito, crossing his arms. "It's a shame somebody his age got stuck in here. Can you imagine having however getting out of here is going to take stolen from you? Years of schooling, socializing. And for what? A life of battle?" He shook his head.

I rallied against the twinge of pain that rose at his words, the clear image of a shredded enemy unit that had been corrupted by indoctrination presenting itself boldly at the forefront of my mind. "If people his age decide they wish the fight, then its our job to help protect them. To teach them." I let out a sigh, the release of air paradoxically piling more weight onto my shoulders. "Looks like there's another reason why we need to keep our levels high. To be their examples."

"You shouldn't have bothered." The voice of the hooded female spoke slowly, straining to get the words out. As one, Choryu and I turned to watch the two, deciding with a glance that it would be best for them to sort out whatever problem they had before interrupting. "You shouldn't have." I struggled in vain to hear their conversation.

The girl worked her menu, tossing over a tied piece of parchment over to the black haired swordsman. "You've got what you wanted. So long." I leapt to my feet, realizing that the girl was going to attempt standing. When she started tipping over, I surged forward, catching her by her shoulders.

"Easy there. You've only woken up after pushing yourself for the past four days. Didn't I mention about making sure you knew your limits?" I smiled gently, my eyes narrowing slightly in a quiet cry of frustration at our height difference.

"Argo? What are you...?" I shrugged with a single shoulder, refusing to meet the questioning gaze that I expected from Choryu.

"Sometimes you need to get information in person. If it's not first hand, it's not always reliable." I should have corrected the misunderstanding right there, but I didn't want to throw her off balance while she was still recovering. "We heard what happened from Kirito. Have to admit, I'm a little upset that that's how you interpreted my advice. I'm all for pushing yourself, but four days straight in enemy territory? You're just a kid. You're not prepared for that sort of thing."

"I'm not a kid," she retorted, pushing my hands away.

"Fine. Then young adult." I held back the growl that wished to escape. "My point is, you shouldn't have done that. You should have tried to group up with somebody instead of embarking on some kind of death march. All that effort you put in? Exploring, fighting, collecting; it would have been for nothing."

The girl scoffed, sharply turning away from me. "What are you, his mother?" she asked. My mind superimposed the image of one of my nieces glaring at me after I scolded her for climbing up a tree, moments before I showed her how to do it properly and safely.

"Excuse me?"

"Kirito, you said his name was? He told me same thing. That it would have been a waste to let my map data disappear." Asuna nodded towards the aforementioned male, still refusing to meet my gaze.

I turned to look at the black haired swordsman, feeling that I should have some words with him regarding the amount of glee he was expressing. "If two people say the same thing, then there must be some element of truth to it." I huffed, shaking my head. "Regardless, now that its daytime we're safer heading back to «Tolbana»."

"I'm not heading back to «Tolbana»," she stated, starting towards the Tower.

My smiled gained an edge, the muscles curving my eyes slightly. "I'm sorry, did you just say you weren't heading back to safety after passing out from a suicidal charge?"

The girl froze, the only movement from her being the ripple of her cloak in the soft breeze that floated through the clearing.

"Because if that's what you're trying to tell me, let me know. We can step outside the safe zone and I can save you the trouble." I drew my weapon, holding it at my side lazily.

"Asasaki!" Choryu ran up to me, his eyes wide.

"No. Maybe I'm misinterpreting it, but all I'm hearing is that she wants to die. I won't stand for somebody throwing themselves away uselessly. Everybody has a purpose, a reason. But if you really can't find something to stay alive for, be it good food, bad laughs, or just being surrounded by voices that aren't your own, let me know." I stared the girl down, my breathing and heart rate firmly under my grasp.

"I didn't…" I waited for the girl to speak, knowing better than to push her in a moment of vulnerability.

"You're not actually trying to die, are you." Kirito stepped towards the girl, a hand extended towards her. I glanced over at the teen, glad that somebody had stepped up to the plate of good angel. "If you were, you wouldn't have gotten as good as you did at dodging and using «Linear». You're trying to escape the game too, aren't you."

"I…" The girl took a step back, looking as if she wanted nothing more than to hide.

"I understand what you're feeling right now. I want to get out of here too. But if you go in there now, you probably won't make it past the tenth floor, maybe even the fifth. Come back with us to «Tolbana». Repair your equipment, get some proper rest. I can head with you back into the Tower. We can watch each other's backs. It'll be safer that way."

I quietly manipulated my interface, properly equipping my kopis so that its sheath materialized on my belt. "Melt down the drops you got or sell them. Stock back up on potions, supplies, whatever. Just be smart about what you're doing." I stepped towards the girl, enveloping her in a hug, one she hesitantly returned.

"I know this world is scary. I know your life is being stolen away from you. But you need to make the best of it. We all need to learn how to live in here. And not just waking up every morning. We have to face our fears head on, or else we'll just be stuck in a living death." I reciprocated the red head's grip, letting her cry without complaint.

"Feeling better?" I asked.

"A little." The girl sniffed, taking off her hood. I smiled at the action, closing my eyes to hide the internal scream of indignation. Where Kirito could be described as Bishounen, the hazel eyed, brown hair tinted just a few shades of red girl was a poster child for Bishoujo.

"Sorry for being so harsh. I didn't want to beat around the bush." I offered my hand in greeting. "Also, my name is actually Asasaki. Sorry for deceiving you. I wasn't lying about having just been in a party before meeting you though. Most of the information Argo received the day we met was actually from us. I figured I could save you some cor by cutting you a better deal."

The redhead wiped away the last of her tears, taking my hand. "It's okay. Even if I went too far, the information you gave me really helped me out. My name is Asuna, Asuna Yūki." She gave a short bow after reciprocating my shake. I found myself appreciating the use of her real name, having been surrounded by people who had introduced themselves by a handle instead.

"This is Choryu. He's part of the group I'm with." Haru waved, all tenseness from his body gone now that the situation had diffused. "And you've already met Kirito. He's a former beta tester." I quickly continued, not allowing anybody to interrupt. "It's thanks to his knowledge that he shared with Klein, one of our leaders, that we managed to make it this far. You could say we're indebted to him."

Kirito raised his hand weakly. I wasn't sure if it was from being outed as a beta tester when there was a bit of hate going around at the ones who had supposedly abandoned us or if it was from being uncomfortable with the situation.

"We should head back now. I'm sure Klein and the others are going to be worried when they wake up without their special Asasaki approved alarm clock." Choryu cracked a grin, shaking his head in amusement.

"You think you can walk now, Asuna?" I turned so that my weapon was hidden from the girl's sight, realizing that I had traumatized her slightly.

"I think so, yes. I'm sure you guys can protect me if anything happens. Oh and, please don't call me by my name alone. I would appreciate it if you at least called me Asuna-san." I blinked at the request for an honorific. It had been fairly strange speaking japanese for over a month with nobody requesting its usage, but I was adaptable.

"I won't let anything hurt you. Even if it's from a mean old biddy." I snorted at Kirito's words, deigning to allow the slight.

"I'll take point. Choryu, keep in front of Asuna-san. Kirito, stay in the back in case anything gets past us, alright?" When everybody acknowledged their assignment, I slowly set off, limiting my pace in respect for our recovering fourth.

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I sipped at my tea, the very image of calm and grace. Around me, the original members of Furinkazan talked freely, regain the tales of the events we had gone through as well as previous games they had played to Asuna and Kirito.

Kirito had originally planned on taking care of his supplies on his own, but Klein had subtly guilt tripped him into having breakfast with us. After I privately explained what had happened, the invitation was extended to Asuna as a form of suicide watch. As far as she knew it was just us inviting her into our group.

Harry had taken it upon himself to read through Argo's guide book and quiz Asuna on all the basics. As annoyed as I was at how the girl was much more friendly to the others than when I had first met to her, it paled in comparison to the joy I felt watching the two teens that had initially been so antisocial interacting with others.

"So once Asasaki and Choryu deal with their loot, we were planning on heading into the mines east of here. The rock monsters there drop ores that we can use to upgrade our weapons. Would either of you like to join us?" Klein motioned towards our two guests, his voice uncaring whether or not the other players in the diner heard us.

"Monsters in the mines that drop enhancement materials?" Kirito cut himself off, looking to the side in thought.

"The significant drops don't happen all the time. Mostly we only get iron or bronze chunks. Every so often we'll get a special drop that follows the pattern of "Aspect of the Noun" like «Aspect of the Mountain» or «Aspect of the Falcon»." Harry materialized the items in question, placing the dimly glowing gems that contained otherworldly brown and red flames on the table. I let out a breath of amusement at the way Asuna's eyes glittered. As brief as it was, I was glad to to see her exhibiting a range of emotions that weren't suicidal or bull headed.

"I don't remember those from the beta." Kirito frowned, staring at the two stones. "The only worthwhile enhancement items that I remember seeing were from the forests around «Horunka» and in the labyrinth."

"If attack patterns could change, other stuff could change too." Issin spoke up, looking away from his conversation with Kunimittz. "Besides, it's not exactly like the monsters we got these drops from are exactly level appropriate for the area. That «Targ» thing we went up against in the first path was level 8."

I let out a puff of amusement at the younger noiret's response. "You're doing that a lot, Kirito. Freezing up? You should be careful. Might end up happening during an important event. Also, stop looking like you just found out your family's being held hostage. You look like an old man in this late twenties when you do that. There's a really prominent crease right here." I tapped my forehead, marking the relative area where his skin folded like the gyri of a brain.

"Wait, how do you know what the monster's levels are?" Asuna blinked, staring at man whose brown hair would forever remind me of a well used paintbrush.

"There's an ability called «Scan» that lets you see the exact numbers of your enemies. It works like a bestiary, or encyclopedia of monsters. At first, you can only see the exact number of their health bar and their level, but the more you use the ability on a monster the more information you can look up like the types of damage they do, specific stats, and even the names of their gear. If you get the skill high enough, you can do the same for players. It's not exactly that useful of a skill, but it was useful for players that were coming after the clearers and wanted to know what they were getting into."

I was marginally impressed by how much Kirito spoke. With all the body language I had been reading from him, it was surprising that he was so willing to break out of his antisocial behavior. "Choryu's the one who has the skill. He thought it'd be a good fit for himself considering he's usually waiting on the side of the battles until he finds an opening."

"You remember the goblin scouts and raiders on the first ten floors? I've used the ability enough times on them that I actually have the papers on their damage range, what equipment they generally use, and how to force counter attacks on them." The formed office worker beamed with pride. "I had to frame the image for those last two just right while Asasaki or the others were setting those up to get them recorded." He moved his fingers to form a box. In the real world, some might refer to it as the gesture for taking a picture.

"How many "snapshots" did that take?" The youngest male of our group asked.

"It was trial and error. If I took a picture of one of the goblin's attacking with somebody else in the image, looking at the image in my bestiary would put a small glow around areas of interest. If I interacted with it, it would go into more detail about why it's important." Choryu pulled out the piece of digital paper on which the grainy black and white image was copied onto. "This was the first picture I took of a «Ruin Goblin Scout»."

The image was of poor quality. Similar to the 240p or 480p rating that you could access on some streaming platforms. There was enough detail that you could tell what you were looking at, but not enough to discern whether the subject was wearing metal armor, leather, or just cloth.

"You guys can't see it, but for those with the «Scan» ability, if I hold my finger on places that have a shimmer, a window will open up for me detailing exactly what I need to do to get more information about it. Sometimes it only took five photos, other times it took ten or more in the case of recording how to force a counter." Choryu pulled out the rest of the images for that specific monster, allowing Kirito and Asuna to look at them. Just by looking at them you could tell there was a progression of some sort; the images that had granted Haru the information he was looking at was crystal clear, the specific subject that it needed being distinctively surrounded by a thin outline. They were still monochrome, however.

"We're kind of a big group, but there's safety in numbers. We've already acquired plenty of materials to do the base upgrades for our weapons. If you guys want to join us, we'd be more than willing to give you some of the drops." Harry, his head guard absent as always whenever we were in the safe zones of «Tolbana», nodded towards the two teens. I wasn't sure if they were close to his age though. Our group's head of information gathering had a habit of using words I had trouble translating whenever he spoke, making it hard for me to figure out whether his speech pattern was the norm of if he was the outlier.

"Upgrading our weapons would be a good idea," Kirito spoke. "You don't need to worry about any drops for me though. I've already upgrade my weapon a couple of times. If I want to upgrade it any farther I need to use materials from the second floor."

A thought occurred to me. "Asuna-san, what weapons are you using? Kirito mentioned that you had multiple copies of the same sword, so I imagine it can't be that high quality if you had so many."

"I've been using an «Iron Rapier». I upgraded from the «Simple Rapier» like you told me to."

Kirito brought his hand to his forehead. "That's not going to cut it." I ignored the soft laugh his words incited out of Klein and Issin. "Iron weapons only have two slots for upgrades, same with Steel weaponry. Even if the stats are fairly decent, you're better off using items you get out in the field." The teen swiped open his menu with practiced ease; I had a feeling he had performed it more than the two months he had access to the game. "Take this. It has the potential to be upgraded up to six times. It's a level 8 item. And don't worry about paying me for it. Just think of it as a future investment. You can pay me back later on if it bothers you that much."

Asuna moved through the motions for a trade, materializing a cylindrical weapon sheathed in a hard, red material. "A «Wind Fleuret»?"

"It's a drop I got from some of the wasps over by «Horunka». Its drop rate was rumored to be less than 3% back in the beta." Kirito leaned back in his seat, a satisfied explanation on his face.

"Sounds like Kirito's on board. What do you say, Asuna-san? I know we look like a bunch of scruffy guys, but we must be doing something right if Asasaki's still hanging around us." Klein gave a grin. He would have made a nice, if poor, salesman with how friendly he was.

 _Or I'm just that desperate to keep myself attached to something so I don't go mad over the grief_. I covered my lips with my cup, sipping at the plain water within. There were forms of alcohol that you could purchase as a drink, but as a pouting Klein had put it, What was the point in liquor if it's not going to make you drunk?

"If upgrading my equipment means I can perform better, then so be it." The girl stood up, stunning the men with a short bow. "Please take care of me."

Issin motioned for me to move in, leaning across the table to whisper to me. "Hey, Asasaki. How come you never act like that?"

"Because I'm a grown woman who knows what she wants? Also, if you forget, I did the exact same thing when I first met you all." I decided not to comment on how we only knew each other for around two weeks, fully aware of how fighting seemed to make days last for weeks.

"Great! Let's meet up by the at the rest house by the entrance in say, forty minutes? Oh, do you know what we're talking about, Asuna-san?" The girl in question shook her head at Klein's question.

"I actually don't know either. I didn't really do much in «Tolbana» aside from repair equipment." It felt like Kirito was trying to be modest, but his method of delivery made it come across as boastful.

"Asuna-san, Kirito-san. Why don't you two go with Asasaki and Choryu to the forge? They need to repair their equipment, and you can check what items Asuna-san will need to upgrade her equipment," Harry suggested.

I shrugged noncommittally. "If the two of them feel like it, I have no objections." It would be nice to converse with people other than Klein and his crew, even if they were younger than me.

"Okay. Thank you for helping us." Asuna gave another bow, her hair gently sliding forward before returning to frame her face. I rolled my eyes internally at the jolt of jealousy I felt from her natural beauty. I was proud of my own of course, but she easily had the appearance of a model.

"Choryu, do you mind leading them? I want to enjoy the city a little more before we spend the rest of the day in some dusty cavern." As much as I hated myself for my behavior, if I traveled with Asuna as I currently was it was highly likely I would needlessly antagonize her. Spending some time examining my thoughts would do me good.

"Of course. Will we meet you at the shops, then?"

I nodded absently, leaving the required amount of cor plus my usual extra on the table where the button for the dining menu was. "Catch you guys in a bit." I moved my hand in a single arc, letting the door close fully behind me before setting off. "Look at me. A grown adult getting jealous of a teenager over looks." I shook my head and briefly flexed my body. I doubted that my muscles still existed after spending a month or so merely laying about, but in this world your physique was the same as when you entered.

"I worked hard for my body, dammit. She probably only does cardio. Very little lifting." I kept to the side of the road, equipping my cloak after noticing a few males hone in on my location. "Sorry, I've got places to be. Maybe next time," I offered gently when they asked if I would join them, making sure my voice betrayed none of my inner frustration.

"Ah, no worries. Good luck, Miss. Hopefully whatever you're doing brings a smile to your face."

I returned their parting wave, the smile that I had used to help form my tone disappearing with them. "Oh dear god, I'm not actually depressed, am I?" I stared at the false sky above, searching whatever material it was constructed from for answers. "Dammit, I am." I swiped open my interface, composing a message for Klein and Choryu. #Small mental breakdown. I'll be fine. Meet you guys at the entrances to the mines. Track me if you need to.#

I took a deep breath, turning my eyes to the large set of buildings on the western mountain. "Please don't just be a fake," I murmured.

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"Halt! No one is-" I flashed my badge that Ferghus had given us. "Oh, my apologies. Please, enjoy your stay." The guard stepped back to his post at the side of the stairwell, his hand moving off the hilt of his sword.

I moved towards Mitsui's office, bracing myself for the worst. "Come in!" A voice, as cheery as the last time I heard it, rang out. The was a melodious tone to it that I hadn't picked up on before, one that I wasn't sure if it was a result of my mind playing tricks on me.

"What can I help you with? Oh! Asasaki, right? How are things going with the mines?" The auburn woman that I swore was copyright infringement looked up from her paperwork, stepped over and engaging me in a hug. "Sorry, too forward?" She asked after it took me a moment to return it.

"No, no. Just caught me by surprise." I took a seat at her gesture, analyzing her words for any trace of falseness.

"Anything to drink? Water, juice, liquor?"

"A wine, if you have it," I said, staring at the map of the region on the table. The pins that she had stuck into it were still there, a few scraps of parchment resting near them. The young adult stepped through the door by her desk, reappearing a few moments later.

"What changed from last time?" Mitsui placed held a glass cup out for me, an identical one in her other hand. Beside her, a colored glass bottle sat atop a small folding table.

I blinked at the taste. The drink was sweet and fruity, one that I couldn't recognize. "What do you mean?"

"Last time you were here you asked for just water. Not exactly cheap, mind you, but a better alternative than liquor for doing business, even if we reduce most of it down."

I let out a breath of amusement, the air passing over my lips roughly. "Long story short, I found myself jealous of somebody younger than me. Apparently my mind isn't as stable as I thought it was if I'm letting something like that bother me."

Mitsui, who I still wasn't sure if she was naturally gifted with looks or if she was indeed in her late teens, said nothing for several seconds. "What do you mean by 'stable'?"

I leaned back in the couch, mindful of the cup in my hand. "I'm only in this world because I needed a break from my own. Some people I cared for died because of me, and my superiors believed that I wasn't fit for duty. The friend that I came here with ended up dieing on me as well, and then last week I got stabbed through my fucking kidney but somehow lived through it." My free hand twitched, longing for a cigarette.

I scoffed. "I dunno. Maybe I'm making a bigger deal out of it than it actually is." I took another sip, calm enough to enjoy the wine instead of wasting it by downing the whole thing. When Mitsui failed to respond, I slowly sat back up, curious as to what the programming behind her eyes could possibly be considering.

"I'm not sure what I can say. I've seen the men under my employ die, so I have an idea of what you're talking about." The leader of the trading guild within this region drank from her glass, raising her gaze to meet mine. "The best I can say is to find something to anchor you to reality, that way you don't do something you'll regret."

"I don't know what I expected," I whispered, looking outside the glass window. From here on the mountainside, I was able to see over the northern wall; past it, large windmills situated along the grain farms turned, the light bouncing off the slow moving giant white sails.

"Will you be alright to continue fighting?"

I slowed my breathing, making sure I didn't react to the weight that settled beside me. "I will be. I have to be. There are people depending on me. Both here and back home. I hate it, and I want nothing more than to relax, but I can't be selfish. Not that much." Mitsui placed her hand on my forearm, a chilling warmth that I didn't expect from her making itself known.

"I know they appreciate it. I appreciate it. You're doing a very brave thing, Miss Asasaki. Just make sure to take care of yourself. You can't help anybody if you can't take care of yourself, not properly anyway."

I closed my eyes at her words, unsure why they so readily brought tears. It took me far longer than I cared to admit to bring the quivering in my jaw under control. "We're going to be exploring another path of the eastern mines today." Teary eyes met hazel as I recalled a rather disturbing fact. "Why didn't you tell us about that giant monster in there?"

"Odd. That thing wasn't supposed to be in that part of the mountains. Not until next year." Mitsui brought a finger to the side of her chin. "If we knew it was going to be in there we would have told you. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. It's fairly harmless though, so long as you don't bother any of the rock creatures in there. We call it the seneschal of the mountain for a reason."

The term was vaguely familiar, though I wasn't sure from where or why. "It sounds to me that that means it has a superior somewhere."

"It's only been seen once, and that was centuries ago. It was a literal mountain. We've kept a good record of the surrounding area, so trust me, we'd know if it was still here." Mitsui swirled her cup around, motioning towards the map. "If you encounter that giant again, leave it alone. We have a fairly decent relationship with it, as far as communicating with moving boulders go. Who knows? It might end up helping you against those goblins or whatever else you find in the mines."

"And to think, this is only the first floor," I grumbled. "Thank you for your time, Lady Mitsui. And compliment your guard in the foyer. He's very good at his job." The redhead laughed, taking my glass from me.

"Ethan's dedicated, if nothing else. I hope things turn out better, Miss Asasaki." The business leader went into the other room, carrying the glasses and bottle on the table.

"Still think your name should be Anna," I muttered under my breath.

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My breakdown had taken the better part of an hour. Thankfully, Klein was fully understanding and told me to take as much time as I needed. It was only around ten in the morning. From what Mr. Scruffles was telling me, our current plan was to spend the entire day in the mountains to collect as much materials as possible for our weapons.

"Sorry I'm late. I ended up over by the Mitsui Trading Guild," I offered to the trio, removing my hood as I approached. This area of «Tolbana» was still frequented by the other players. As a result of the workers (who doubled as guards thanks to their experience fighting the rock monsters) constantly rotating in and out, several inns had been set up in the area.

"No worries. We were tracking you so we knew you were fine. Feeling better?" Klein offered a hand towards me, Choryu and Issin following behind.

"A little." I grabbed his arm by the wrist, thankful for the show of solidarity. "Not a hundred percent, but I'll manage." We rejoined the others, Kunimittz telling a somewhat enraptured Kirito and Asuna stories from his work. He refused to name any names, but whenever he got riled up about the subject the next ten minutes were guaranteed to be filled with conversation.

"We all good to go?" Klein asked, looking over our group. "Right, so since we have ten people, we're going to break up into even teams of five. Asuna-san, Kirito, you'll be with Asasaki, Issin, and Harry. Dale, Dynamm, Kuni, and Choryu will be with me. Same deal as last time; we shouldn't need it, but just in case Harry and I will be registered with the other party for communication purposes. Also, we'll be taking separate paths to maximize our efficiency."

"If you come across those giant rock monsters again, leave them alone. You remember, the ones we ran away from? I talked to Mitsui, and she said that the people here have a fairly stable relationship with that thing. She also said that it might end up helping us later on." I accepted Klein's invitation to his group, four other status bars appearing under mine. As with my own bars, if I bothered to focus on theirs I would be able to see their actual numbers, but the system took too long to register the action for it to be of any use in combat.

"If that isn't foreshadowing, I don't know what is." Kirito shook his head in disbelief. Once again I understood the intent behind his action to come across as personable, but between the way he said it and his body language it only made him seem like a braggart. Briefly, I wondered how often I seemed that way to Furinkazan.

"We're hoping to get as deep as we did last time, so stick close to your light bearers. Occasional there's glowing stones once you get past the torch lit region, but don't rely on them too much. We'll be fighting goblins that have better eyesight than us, but from what we saw last time they have torches set up in their base of operations so it should be easier towards the end." Klein looked over at Harry, the former student taking his cue.

"Hopefully, we each come back with three hundred cor, pushing five depending on what kind of drops we get. Additionally, we'll be spending extra time on the golems if our equipment allows for it." The teen adjusted his lantern shield, still not fully used to its weight and feel.

"Asuna-san, Kirito, if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. There's very few cases where being over prepared is a bad thing. Also, if Harry or Asasaki ask you to do something, make sure you do it." I nodded after Klein spoke. "It might seem a little strange or weird compared to what you're used to, but they have experience leading others so they probably have a plan in mind."

"But when in doubt, please defer to me. Asasaki's good for small scale planning, but she's not yet used to the gaming world."

"Ask me to orchestrate the demise of a single target? Got you. Want me to plan out the take over of a hostile base? You should ask the brass about it." I pointed towards the two leaders of our group, a wry smile in my face.

"Happy hunting, guys." Klein led his group into the mine, marching past the two armored guards.

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As far as killing creatures for things they contained went, our trip was fairly quiet. "It's just like a class field trip. Except with monsters. And death. Hey, look! A gold nugget!" I materialized the item out of my inventory, holding it up so the torchlight glinted off it.

"When Klein told me he wanted us to pull all nighters during the weeks our schedules were lined up to beat those raid bosses on a shooting game, I told him he was crazy. But you're redefining the standard." Harry shook his head, slowly walking past me.

"A title I share carry with pride," I sung, pocketing the item. "But I could be worse. I could be them." "Them" in this instance referred to the twin stars of blue and red that kept just ahead of us. The unspoken rule that had been set in place was that our smaller groupings of three and two would alternate between monster, Kirito and Asuna running ahead of any monster that was ours. In the cases that they were unable to get away, Kirito would hold its attention until either Issin or I could get to it.

"Those two are something else. Only a single explanation and observation on how to handle these monsters, and they're already fighting them on their own." Harry let out a heavy breath, pressing the way forward for us.

"Makes me feel kind of inadequate. I feel like if I was just three years younger I might be able to do the same as them." Issin raised his hands into the air, mindful of where the tip of his weapon was.. "What about you, Little Miss Developer? How do you feel about them?"

"They're going to burn out," I mused. "They may be strong now, but they're going to break eventually. Somebody needs to be there when they do. One of them already had problems directing her attention, who knows when the other will snap." I cupped my free hand to my mouth, directing my voice at our two charges. "Slow down, you two! Our old bones can't keep up!"

"I swear you took offense when we talked about your age once," Issin half muttered.

"It's different when you acknowledge it yourself. Having other people call you out on stuff is a hurt you're not prepared for." It was amusing how Kirito and Asuna sported identical irked looks when we sauntered over. "It's great that you two are having fun, but you really ought to pace yourselves. If you keep rushing head long, you're going to crash. We still have ninety-nine floors to go. Treat it like a marathon instead of a sprint, alright?"

"I'd rather not stay in here any longer than necessary." I was momentarily taken aback by the forcefulness of Asuna's statement, believing her to have become more friendly after spending a meal together.

"And I understand, but even so. Take your time, enjoy yourself. You can still have a life here, even if it is within a gilded cage." I moved my hand in a placating manner, wondering what was going on behind Kirito's blank face.

The girl challenged my gaze, a fierce scowl on her face. "Some of us have lives to get back to, you know."

"I know. Harry already has his school path planned out. Choryu's an office worker, Kunimitzz is shift manager for his store, and that's not even mentioning the dozens of children I saw wandering the streets of «Town of Beginnings». I understand, Asuna-san. I'm not saying to walk, I'm just saying to pace yourself." I waved my sword in their general direction as I walked past them. "Have some fun. Enjoy the fact that you can do things you normally can't. It's a fight for our lives, after all. If you can't find any source of joy or laughter, you've already lost."

"What makes you happy then, Asasaki?" Kirito asked.

"The knowledge that I get to go all out on my enemies and not have to worry about being reprimanded for going overboard," I told him. "Also, dibs." I sprinted towards the «Mineral Golem, watching its limbs for its first attack.

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I stabbed my weapon through my enemy, wrenching it out through the side side. Issin and I had been assigned to the «Mountain Goblin Scouts» that continually spawned while the trio of Harry, Kirito, and Asuna dealt with «Fiad, the Goblin Raider». The mini-boss was around six feet in height, clad in chain and thick cloth. Its defense stat was at an annoying level, and like certain sentries I had fought before required the usage of sword skills to deal significant damage.

I batted away the sword of a charging goblin, stepping closer and grabbing it by its outstretched forearm. From there I brought into a clockwise revolution around me, performing a quick spin and slashing my sword through its neck. The momentum carried through to the shards of data, the shower carrying forward a few feet before phasing out of existence.

We had been at this for several minutes, and I was close to leveling up from the sheer amount of monsters I had gone through. A new goblin spawned every thirty seconds; Issin and I had managed to fix the rate so that one of us would be able to take care of the newest one while the other dealt with the previous.

Carrying nothing but a single handed weapon and what amounted to a loincloth, the scouts fell in two hits at most, four if you messed up a normal attack. I jogged past my companion, towards a spawning matrix and unleashed a «Reaver» once the protective light disappeared. Monster spawns weren't slow, but there was a very noticeable build up once you realized what to look for.

"They're not respawning," Issin murmured after several seconds of silence.

I looked around, searching for anything out of place. True to Paint Brush's word, nothing else was spawning. "Go help them out with damage. I'll keep an eye out for any changes." The spear user sped off with a grunt of acknowledgement, slotting into the three man by providing moments of stun and crowd control with his abilities.

I kept a ready stance while the fight raged on behind me, turning from time to time to make sure that nothing unpleasant was getting the drop on us. When twin war cries resonated throughout the chamber, I still keep my guard, not letting up until after the room brightened. "Nice work, everybody. Harry, do you need any extra potions?" I asked when I rejoined the four.

"No, I still have a few." Being in the party for the other group, we weren't able to see Harry's health bar, relying on his updates to relieve him if necessary.

"What about you two? Still good to go?" Out two guests responded in unison, staring at each other for a moment before looking away with a humph. "What happened with them?" I looked towards Harry and Issin for an explanation, utterly confused by their behavior.

"They entered a love-hate relationship-" Issin let out a soft hiss of annoyance at the dual denials, "Asuna's being stubborn with anything she learns and goading Kirito into various challenges by accident, while Kirito's teaching her as much as possible while still trying to maintain his pride as a man. It's a losing battle."

I snickered, watching the red headed youth beam with joy, a complete reversal of Kirito's downtrodden look. "It's about six o'clock or so. We could head back if you guys wanted to," I trailed off, watching their expressions.

"Asuna doesn't have enough items yet to upgrade her weapon enough times yet. We should stay another hour or two," Kirito said. I glanced over at Issin and Harry, receiving shrugs of indifference in return.

"It's not like these things are seriously damaging to our equipment so long as we're using sword skills. If it's monsters we need, just point me at them. I'll skewer them for you guys to handle." Issin gave a grin that was remarkably similar to Klein's. I couldn't help but wonder which of the two did it first.

"Alright. I'll let the other group know. Let's stick to the dark sections for now then. Asasaki, do you mind carrying the drops we get? I'm sure the others are starting to get bogged down from everything we have."

"I'll do what I can," I responded to Harry, cognitive of the fact that my fighting style would be fairly useless in the dark.

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I let out a groaning yawn as we walked back towards our inn. Kirito, and by proxy Asuna, were more than willing to continue until the early hours of the morning, but were outvoted by us adults. They had become used to my sleep schedule, appreciative of the fact that we were able to get a head start on everybody while still keeping good safety margins for travel.

"You know if you needed a nap, Granny, you could have just said so." In my head I knew Kirito was trying to crack a joke, but it still took me a second to form an unaggressive response.

"You watch your mouth, kid. This granny could still beat you seven ways from sunday and you'd know it was your fault every single time," I shot back, doing my best to keep any real heat out of my voice.

"Hey, Asuna-san, where are you staying at?" Klein reduced the length of his strides, falling back with our group of damage dealers.

"At an inn over at the northern part of town. Why do you ask?"

"Was just wondering. Back in «Town of Beginnings» there were some people who took to sleeping on the streets because they couldn't get enough cor for both accommodations and food." Klein looked up in contemplation, the idle chatter from the others reaching us. "What about you, Kirito?"

"I'm staying in the second floor of a farm up north. The complex is considered a safe zone so I don't need to worry about monsters or anything."

"Wait, you can use places that aren't inns to sleep?" Asuna stared at Kirito, her mouth slightly open.

"Yeah. You have to go out of your way to find them, but they're usually better than the normal rooms. Mine has a comfy bed, all the milk you could drink, a nice view of the forest, and a hot bath. It costs about 80 cor a night." I tilted my head slightly towards the blacked haired swordsman, curious about the details regarding the bath.

When I discovered Mitsui was ferrying soaps among the various supplies she was delivering, I had bought a few bars from the various NPC's once they acquired them, dragging Issin and Klein to stand guard while I bathed in a deeper portion of the stream. Eventually everyone had take a bath, agreeing that the way water felt was weird in a strange sense. The common theme in each of our explanations being that it felt like wearing a skin tight outfit and not actually able to get wet.

"Excuse me?" I stopped and turned around, realizing we had left Asuna behind a few paces. "What did you just say?" The girl marched up to Kirito, a determined look on her face.

"That I'm renting out the second floor of a farm up north?" Kirito raised his hands, looking behind him for help. I smiled innocently.

"After that."

"All the milk I could drink?" Asuna gave the bishie a full out glare, complete with fists resting on her hips. "It has a bath?" Kirito's voice turned up at the end. I wasn't sure if the sudden rise in pitch was intentional or not.

"Are there still rooms available?" She demanded.

"No. There's only a single room with a bathroom attached on the second floor. The first floor is used by the NPC's." Kirito sagged in relief when Asuna haunched over. The tenseness quickly returning when Asuna mumbled something too quiet for me to hear that broke Kirito into a stammering fit.

"Yeah. Sure," he eventually managed. "Were going to split off here guys." Kirito nodded towards us, his gaze lingering on Klein's.

"You two should join us again tomorrow. We're going to do another run of the Tower. Would be nice to have some more hands to get used to a group coordination."

"That sounds wonderful, Klein-san. Thank you for your assistance today." The hooded girl bowed, a smile barely visible from underneath her brown cloak.

"Sleep well, you two. And make sure to eat a good breakfast. Your mind is a powerful thing in here, so make sure you keep up your habits from the real world."

"Sure thing, Grandma," Kirito barked.

I let out a huff. "If you really must insist on my age, then at least call me Auntie!" Kirito's retreating form only gave a hand in response, the form trailing behind him shifting to say something.

"Good kids," Klein remarked after a while.

"You weren't the ones who had to deal with them," Issin and I said in unison.

He hesitated. "That bad?"

I placed my hand on his back, pushing slightly to catch up with the rest of our group. "Let me tell you a few things over dinner."

* * *

 _Next chapter should be out August 11th-12th._


	9. Fractured Whole

_Oh man, this week was weird. Every time I went to write my mind just went "Naaah... Let's lay down and chillax." I managed to get a lot of bare bones stuff on my phone, and most of that was the framework that I used for reference later on._

* * *

#Cut your run short. Busy day today.#

"And I was just getting ready for the actual stuff, too." I closed out of the message and looped back down the hill. The night before I had been taking another look at my sound options. At the bottom of that section was a toggle feature as for background music as well as a greyed out bar for how loud it was. It was quite nice listening to the looping melody of what seemed to be a variety of marimba type instruments, accompanied by the occasional pat of a tambourine and gong of a bell. The way the metal resonated seemed very much like the sound of the smiths in the north carrying across the town in unison.

It seemed entirely incidental to me that the decision to activate ambient music brought about an energy that had never been in «Tolbana» before. Rumors on the wind spoke of how an attempt at the boss room would be made today, and that a group of some forty odd members had been seen the previous evening at the ampitheatre on the western mountainside.

Personally, I didn't care for fighting the bosses of each floor, but I supposed that in a few months time my attitude would reverse when I inevitably decided that I was tired of living in a world that comprised of 1's and 0's. Perhaps more so than the simulated reality theory.

As I entered the inn we were staying at, I thumbed over to a different shirt, a dazzle of light briefly surrounding my torso as the change took place. In the center of the room, the seven males were situated around the rectangular arrangement we used when able to move tables around. "I'm a little surprised all of you look so awake. You normally need at least another hour or two before I can hold decent conversation."

Klein could only laugh at my comment. "Kirito sent us an invitation to join up with today's push towards the boss room. Apparently a group managed to find the place two days ago and they had a meeting about it yesterday."

I hummed, wondering if it was the group in question belonged to the blue haired shield user we had left the day before.

"We're going to upgrade our equipment before trying to join up with them in the safe zone in the forest north of here." Harry turned away from his conversation with Kunimitzz, the seventeen year old shaking his head at something on his interface. "Asuna's supposed to join up with us at the forges, but she's having difficulty working the marker system for the map. Really, it's like she never played a game before."

"To be fair, you guys had to explain to me what DPS stood for an a bunch of whole acronyms, so be nice to the poor girl. We can't all be shut in recluses that never see the light of day," I joked, resting my arms on the unused chair beside Haru.

"No, you just have to be a battle crazy woman with a penchant for pins and attacks that would be incredibly deadly in real life. If it weren't for you being a foreigner- actually, I take that back. You probably are a crime boss somewhere in the world."

I broke into a coughing fit, my eyes tearing up at Kunimittz' words. "It's not okay how you can say stuff like that with a such a straight face."

"You think I'm joking," He deadpanned.

I chuckled and tapped my nose. "Because you amuse me so, I shall spare you if the time ever comes. But know that my generosity has limits, young one."

"We're ten years apart, at most." Kunimitzz shifted, moving his head off the table and onto his hand. I had assumed he didn't like me that much, but looking at him now it seemed to me that he just had a really strong resting bitch face.

"I'm twenty seven," I stated, looking over at Klein when he rose.

"Five years, then."

"Time to head out guys. Once we get into the fields, we're going to ignore any monsters we find until we get into the Tower. Gotta keep up our durability for the main event." At Klein's count, we clapped a single time, the sound reverberating around the room.

 _I'm glad I met these guys._

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December 4th, 2022. An hour ago, at 1300, it would have been exactly four weeks since some ten thousand people became trapped in this floating castle and only now were we attempting any progress at escape, though not for lack of trying.

I weaved around the left leg of a «Ruin Kobold Tropper», treating its thigh like a punching bag. In front of it, Issin gored through the other leg, the combined «Threat» from our attacks allowing Choryu to safely land a «Stalking Prey» from behind. The ability naturally had a high critical hit chance. Combined with the slight power up from attacking from the rear, the dagger user was able fell the beast with the single strike.

Before we had left «Tolbana», my «Steel Kopis» had received a single upgrade to both Quickness and Sharpness, granting a minor decrease in how long my «Post Motion» duration was as well as enhancing my overall damage with the weapon. Even with those upgrades, I had still imposed a challenge on myself; I had been neglecting my unarmed combat skills. Regardless of whether or not I was inflicting significant damage, practicing the motions would help me when we eventually escaped.

The floors before us had been passing in a blur. Our nine parties, two of which were a man down, had been constantly rotating through each fight to make sure nobody was low on durability. Kirito had told us that his experiences in the beta taught him that the required amount of people for a Tower Boss to be safely beaten was 96 people, two Raid Parties that tagged out to maintain their health. With 52 people, I doubted that we would be able to achieve a non-pyrrhic victory.

Group A, one of the two groups designated as a Tank unit, charged past us without a word, crashing into the next group of monsters that were on our path. With this many people organized into full groups, the monsters would appear with one or two extra spawns than their usual appearance to compensate for the perceived competition of resources. In rare cases, the amount of monsters that spawned were double the normal amount. When that happened, the group that was coming up from behind would lend their aid to dispatch the targets. Though it was more a unified mob aiming for the same goal than something properly organized, it was still inspiring to be apart of.

"Hey c'mon, Asasaki! If you don't catch up you won't get to have any fun!" Klein ran backwards past me, taking a page from my book and spinning forward between steps.

"We only have two more floors to go. It's not like that door is going anywhere," I said, keeping his pace. Kirito and Asuna alone were more than enough to take care of any monsters that were meant for us, the two displaying a surprising amount of coordination for people that had only met three days ago.

"Ah man, you're such a downer. We're about to fight the first boss of this world! How can you not be excited?!" He asked, raising his weapon in the air.

I pursed my lips, not wanting to speak so bluntly. At some point during our trek up the Tower, the realization of what we were actually doing had hit me with full force. I wanted nothing more than for my group to not participate, to do whatever I could to keep those I had grown attached to in the past two week from dieing. Seeing them grin and cheer as if this were a night out to the movies or an amusement park had made it hard for me to voice my concerns. "This is supposed to be a boss fight, right?"

"Yup," he replied, the second half of the word partially cut off.

I waved my hand over my head in thanks as we jogged past Group B, led by a tall back male who went by the name of Agil. "And aren't bosses normally big, giant things with hard hitting, wide attack patterns?"

"Oh yeah." When we passed Diavel's group, Klein let out a rousing cry to boost their morale.

"And aren't we limited to a single life in this world?" We moved to the side of the hall, spiriting past the trio of «Ruin Kobold Troopers» that Group D, one of our primary damage groups, was engaged in combat with.

"Yup."

I blinked in confusion, speeding up marginally so I could view Klein's expression. "You are remarkably excited for this," I muttered, an unspoken question lingering in the air.

"I mean of course I'm scared, but it's like Harry said this morning. If we can't find any joy or laughter in this, we've already lost."

I couldn't resist giving an amused scoff, recalling my very words that the black haired shield user had shared with the rest of the group as a pep talk. "Very well. My joy and laughter in this shall be going all out, without a care in the world; losing myself in the song of battle against digital constructs that have no motives or desires other than to erase me from existence. I can't possibly feel bad about killing something that has no other desires; no family, no loved ones. Just something that was born to destroy."

"I know I should be concerned about that, and I'll get the story out of you one day, but for now I'm just going to cheer for you." Klein laughed, moving into a proper run. "Keep up, Little Miss Developer! There's levels to be gained!"

"Slow down! I can't hack my stats to make me faster than you!" I shot back, purposely keeping ahead of him for several seconds before falling back a step.

The sibling teams of Group H and Group I that consisted of Furinkazan and Co. were unique in that we were a miniature raid group in our own right. While Groups F and G had also been designated as support, they were primarily composed of polearms and other weapons capable of using crowd control abilities. Our groups were designed so that we could take on any monster on our own, working around either the two polearms in Group F or Harry in Group G.

Klein and Harry had decided that we would need a rapid response team and thusly had changed our composition from the previous day to consist of what we believed to be the faster people within our group of ten, using Harry as our anchor slash rally point.

"Hey, Asasaki. How about a bet?" Klein asked during a moment of silence. "Whoever kills the most monsters inside the boss room gets one favor from the other person."

I snorted. "I like the idea, but shelve it for the time being. If I took you up on that, I might end up doing something stupid and nearly get killed."

"So at a later date then?" He asked.

"At a later date," I repeated.

"Hey, catch you in a bit. The next group of monsters belongs to us." I continued running with Klein, wishing him luck we we caught back up with my group.

"Is a push to the boss room really a good time to flirt, Auntie?" Kirito grinned, his sword held along his back just a few inches shy from entering a «Pre-Motion» stance.

"Any time is a good time to flirt," I told Kirito. "Just need to balance it between the rest of your responsibilities."

"You know, with how short you are, Asasaki, I'm curious as to whether or not I could get away with calling the cops on Klein."

I wasn't proud to admit that I stumbled on my next few steps. "I expected something like that out of Kirito or Issin, but you, Harry? Did I wake up in a different universe or something?"

"Our morning blossom brand alarm clocks weren't functioning this morning. It's much nicer waking up to a Klein sanctioned wake up call." I heard the grin on Harry's face, glad to know our morale was still high.

I chuckled, remembering that I had once explained where my handle originated from. "If I let you guys have your way, we probably wouldn't have been able to attend the party."

"But the party hasn't even started yet. Dibs!" Kirito shot forward, his weapon trailing a brilliant blue as he released a sword skill.

"Save you strength! We haven't even gotten to the main course yet!" I shook my head, turning to talk to Asuna. "So are you feeling excited- and you're not here." I looked behind me, raising a brow at how the red haired rapier user quietly slipped off to join Kirito. "Must have had one amazing talk last night when we separated."

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As we gathered outside the heavy doors that led to the boss room, I overheard Kirito reminding Asuna about how their sub-group would operate, more for his nerves than hers. When he knocked one of the monsters off balance, Asuna would go in and attack the throat. Whether in oversight or purposeful design, the «Ruin Kobold Sentries» that we would be facing alongside «Illfang the Kobold Lord» didn't wear any type of protective gear for their throats, only heavy platemail over their torsos, limbs, and a full helm on their head.

"Remember, everyone. The primary strategy we'll be using today is "Switch and Pot". Call out for others to take your place when you force an opening, and if you take enough damage for a potion to be of complete use, tag out so you can recover. Let's get through this with no deaths, everybody!"

"For freedom!" I instinctively let out, raising a fist. The gathering of 52 people reiterated my cry, sending a pleasant chill up my spine.

We piled through the entrance, spreading out into our groups. Behind us, the heavy ornate doors remained open, something Kirito had informed us would occur in case we needed to abort the battle.

The blood red torches situated on the stone pillars flickered, changing into a vibrant blue. Behind, a pulse of white light raced down the hall, painting the white and grey of the room with a kaleidoscope of colors. A large spawning matrix formed on the throne on the other side, materializing a beast of a creature. Slowly it stood, picking up the massive axe and shield at it sides. With a roar, six additional matrices appeared, summoning the armored fodder that would appear every time one of their leader's health bars was depleted.

"This isn't right," Kirito breathed. "There was only supposed to be three."

"Things change, kid. Better get used to it. Harry! Direct me as you will!" I drew my blade, moving into a ready stance. At the front of our gathering, the blue haired leader raised his sword in the air, commanding our forces forward.

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I grinned darkly. Realizing that we would not be able to take care of all the monsters with conventional methods, Harry had decided to turn me loose, letting me go as I pleased. I had taken to wielding both my «Steel Kopis» and my «Iron Dao». Doing so prevented me from using any sword skills, but the training I had allowed me to use the somewhat short weapons effectively. Because of the size of them as well as I wasn't able to perform all the fancy tricks that I would ordinarily be able to, but against opponents who only knew how to slash in one of eight directions, simply able to redirect momentum was all I needed.

My weapons blinked from a block into a three hit combo that knocked the sentry to the ground and suffering from a bleed effect. Behind me, the other kobold that I was dealing with finally recovered from its stun and tumble, picking its spiked mace from the ground. "I should have taken Klein up on his bet. I would have won for sure!" I shot my dao out, using the back to forcefully raise my target's sword arm into the air and exposing its armpit, moving it over my head. My kopis smoothly inserted into its torso from the opening, sliding back out and dealing a significant amount of damage for a normal attack if the screech was anything to go by.

The programming that these monsters had seemed incapable of dealing with pins and holds, something I abused freely. "When they patch this game, they should add blood to the morality settings! It's no fun fighting you things if you they bleed or show pain!" I cackled, sliding behind it and slitting its throat before kicking it away to collide with its companion.

It was slow going, dealing with this fodder without being able to use any sword skills. But nobody else, even as a group, seemed willing to hold their own against two monsters at the same time, instead dividing the work so that each monster had at least two people against it.

In the corner of my eye, I watched Harry's health bar inch back and forth from 70%, the shield user actively drinking potions in the middle of combat to keep himself at the front. At first, he had fallen down to 40%, but after slowly making his way back up to the point where his yellow bar started becoming green, it constantly teetered between the two colors. I would have loved to have fought beside him, watching how he maintained his health to such a precise degree.

In the center of the room, the third bar of Illfang's health inched away. "I hate to cut this conversation short, but you need to go now. The time limit for our little date is running out." I leapt atop the two monsters, viciously stabbing my kopis through the chinks in their armor over and over until they exploded into particles. I stood up form my kneeling position and tilted my head to the side. There was absolutely no conflict in this for me. I knew without a doubt that I would kill all my marks without so much as a hint of the word struggle being used to describe the conflict. It was like playing tag with children. You only amused them because you wanted to entertain them, not because it was much actual fun for yourself.

A bestial roar erupted from the seven foot tall boss, heralding the another round of monsters. I let go of my dao, tackling the closest sentry to the floor. "Hello there! My name Dawn Lakewood. You killed my friend. Prepare to die." My left hand shoved its head against the floor, the rabbit esque creature struggling to push me off. Its efforts were in vain; with my kopis jammed through the central eye slot on its helm, its health vanished in large amounts as I blended whatever constituted for a brain into goo.

"Don't think you can sneak up on me," I whispered, rolling off the soon to be corpse. A glowing warhammer slammed into the prone body of the sentry, finishing the job. "They call it friendly fire," I hooked the wrist of the extended limb into the crook of my right arm, roughly pushing behind the elbow with my left hand. "But is it ever really friendly?" The tumble status was inflicted on the creature, a significant portion of its health disappearing along with the broken limb. I yanked its head back, exposing its neck. "The rock monsters are more difficult than you!" I screamed, driving my weapon into its throat.

I huffed and reclaimed my «Iron Dao», dismissing it to my quick access bar. Around me, the other sentries were slowly being taken down. Tank Squad A and Damage Squad C surrounded the Kobold Leader as it discarded its weapons in favor of an long elegant weapon. "Following the lines of sheer appearances, it's probably going to use wide attacks. Being a boss with this many targets, I'm willing to bet mostly horizontal, switching to vertical if only a single person exposes themself." I watched as it raised its blade into the air, screaming a challenge.

"No! Get back! Everyone, jump back as far as you can!"

Kirito's voice barely reached me over the din of combat. Secure in the knowledge that there was nothing that could target me, I turned to look at him, frowning at the sheer panic on his face. Illfang leapt into the air, contorting its body and unleashing a spinning attack that created a visible gust of wind in the wake of its weapon. I found myself appreciating the beauty of the strike, how a trail of white left yellow currents of color dancing across the bodies of all those it knocked back.

The part of me that wasn't lost in the senseless carnage internally screamed with fear, recognizing Kirito's warning of a follow up attack. My eyes honed in on the figure of the blue haired shield user known as Diavel, watching him get juggled by a four hit combo that ended with a thrust. His body arced through the air, landing gracefully near Kirito, the former managing to say something before shattering into glimmering chaff.

 _No._

I felt myself let out a sigh, annoyance surging through my entire being. "Is this how it's going to be? Give up at the first sign of difficulty? I swear we were stronger than this. Fighting the good fight, standing up for what was right. We didn't almost become a Ranger just to break down, did we?"

 _No…!_

"Man, I am such a mess. Can't even respond to questions properly. Good thing we know how to fight, or else you'd be nothing but a far off memory." The being known as Asasaki grinned viciously, the dozens of screams releasing into the air masking our footsteps. "Get off your asses and kill this fucker!" We soared into the air, neon blue marking the leaping strike of «Sparrow in Flight». As we fell, our kopis snaked out, scoring a half dozen system assisted thrusts on the unarmored body of Illfang.

"Control your output! You're going to OT!" The voice sounded familiar, but in my rage I was unable to place it.

"Piss off! As if I'm going to let some no name civilian dictate what I should or shouldn't do!" We dashed forward, spinning around in a maneuver that could only ever work against a complete novice.

"Hey, we're trying to keep you alive!" The guttural screams of several people rang out, one after another, accompanied by a flash of light.

"And I'm trying to end this sonuvabitch!" We stabbed our weapon into Illfang's calf, inflicting a minor bleed as we tore it out through the side.

 _Stop being such an ass! They're trying to help!_

 _ **Shut up! I need to focus!**_

We continued our dance around the legs of Illfang, our sword twirling away with every step to slash away its health pixel by pixel.

"Everybody! Ten steps towards the exit! He won't use any AoE if he's not surrounded!"

I followed the command, instinctively recognizing that somebody had a proper plan. In the corner of our vision, obscured by the four other health bars of those in our party, Illfang positioned his blade in a particular way. "Like hell!" I brought my blade to my side, left hand resting atop the tang. In an instant the system took over, our mind adding our own strength into the motions to slam the butt of our sword into Illfang's right knee. A static pulse of yellow emanated from the strike zone, the second strike of «Comet Cannon» bringing us behind the monster.

In that moment, the room was utterly silent, in the next, the ringing sound of metal against metal echoed. Kirito landed at my side, his face contorting with strain. "Pot back up while we buy time!" He yelled back at the others.

I let out a bark of laughter. "Now you're speaking my language!" I swiped my interface open, quickly materializing my dao in my left hand. "Who cares about defense? It's a literal fucking Goliath! I'll just shave away its health until it explodes like every other piece of shit in this place!"

I ran at Illfang, sliding underneath the swipe of its free paw on my knees completely uncaring of how my health lowered slightly from the action. My blades flitted about in a familiar pattern; at any given time a weapon was chambered to block an attack that would never come thanks to the height differential while the other sliced inconsequential wounds that would add up over time. At the edges of my sight, twin stars of red and blue shot about, intercepting and countering every blow that was meant for someone.

 _ **Are you happy now? We're playing nice. We're letting others help.**_

I ran up a leg, stabbing my way up Illfang's back until I reached its neck, driving my kopis in and out like a jackhammer.

 _ **Does it feel good? Knowing that they're all going to die, regardless of what you do?**_

 _Shut up._

With its health bar hovering above my head, I couldn't tell how much damage my strikes were doing, but the way the giant flinched and roared with every strike was an adequate signal.

 _ **Just like Satoru.**_

 _Shut up!_

I let out a scream of fury, bringing my weapons across its throat.

 _ **Just like Parker.**_

 _SHUT UP!_

Illfang released another spinning strike, launching me through the air. Before the wave of white crashed into me, I managed to right myself midair, landing in a crouching position as yellow arcs danced along my body.

 _ **Do you want to die?**_

I stared up at the black blade, watching as it glowed a demonic red. Illfang's omnipresent grin seemed stronger in that instant.

 _I do…_

 _ **Then do it.**_

The weapon slowly fell, all thought and emotion parting before its edge.

"Hraaagh!" A heavy clang rang out above my head, a pair of legs clothed in white sliding out of my vision. "And this is why you need to keep your damage low enough for the tanks to keep aggro." A dark skinned arm wrapped around my stomach, ferrying me away.

"Got your lady. Feisty one, she is." The man I now recognized as Agil set me gently against a pillar, the worried face of Klein appearing in my vision.

"Dammit Asasaki, what were you thinking!" He demanded.

"Hey, I'm all for reunions and all that, but we still have a boss to fight. The mobs are dead so we better wait for the kid to give us his orders." The two handed axe user dissapeared from my vision, my red haired leader taking front and center.

"We're talking when this is done." Klein glared at me, one that had no effect against my drained self. I looked to the side, tracking the progression of sensation as it returned to my body. His footsteps faded away, blending into the sounds of combat.

 _Why did you do that to me?_

Nobody responded. I bit my lower lip, recalling the damning words one of my doctors had delivered to me. "I'm too old for this shit," I whispered. I raised my head, resting it against the masonry to watch the rest of the fight unfold.

Under Kirito's direction, the Tanking units and rotating DPS squads whittled away Illfang's health. With the knowledge that Kirito had been in the beta, the way he countered one of Illfang's strikes with a «Sonic Leap» seemed as if it had been scripted, the beast crashing to the ground as the «Tumble» status appeared under its single gauge.

"Everyone on it, now!" The 50 remaining people that were capable of fighting tore into the boss monster with impunity. In the chaos of it all, my eyes focused on the two child soldiers, watching them remove the last few numbers of health that allowed Illfang to live.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

 _He's such an idiot._

My body moved of its own volition. Kirito's words had left everybody in a stunned silence, their anger returned as he ascended up the stairs. Even if I wasn't entirely back yet, my convictions refused to let him suffer alone.

"You know they're going to target you if you follow after me, Granny," the teen said when I caught up to him.

"I thought I told you to call me Auntie," I responded, forcing a bit of mirth into my voice.

"I think Granny's better right now. It's easier to deal with what I saw." Kirito stopped walking, refusing to meet my gaze. The stairwell behind throne was a massive tower of empty space, the spiraling steps surrounded by darkness were the only things lit by a soft pale translucent light. In truth, it seemed very much like the stairwell from the opening animation from a game one of my cousins was heavily invested in.

"I'll explain some day. Probably." I stopped a step above him, turning to look at the source of footsteps that were trampling up the stairwell.

"Like we'd let you two go through this alone." Klein walked up to me, enveloping me into a hug. "I dunno what that was about, but I want you to know that I'm here whenever you're ready," he whispered.

"We all are," Issin said. Behind him, the rest of Furinkazan softly voiced their support.

I gently pushed away from Klein, closing my eyes to keep a handle on my emotions. "Thank you. All of you. Kirito?" He paused when I called his name, a hand resting on the gray door decorated with a large trapezoid and a top heavy humanoid standing on either side. "What do we do from here? You're the beta tester. We have no experience on what to do."

The swordsman turned around to look at our gathering, a jolt of pain shooting through me at how quickly his gazed passed over me. "Activate the warp gate in «Urbus», then head out into the fields for some level grinding while everybody's still getting used to the new zone." The black haired bishie turned back around, hesitating.

"Ah man. I was really looking forward to taking a break for the day." Klein scratched his head, the other males sighing as one. "Whelp. Guess there's no helping it. How about it, guys? Feel like fighting some new monsters?" Above us, the the doors briefly groaned.

"So long as we come back down to finish all the quests. You know how I feel about leaving things unfinished, Klein." I hummed at Harry's words, recalling that we had arrived at the decision to grind our way up to level 15 before tackling the rest of the quests.

"You guys should see this." Kirito grinned, pushing the doors open the rest of the way.

My expression shifted into one of pleasure at the expanse of land that spread out before us. Bathed in the light of the afternoon sun, a vast open plain spread out before us, stopping at the sheer cliffs of a plateau halfway towards the Tower at the southern end and partially to the east.

"Oh, wow. Okay, on a list of things that I always wanted to cross off my bucket list, I think I can firmly say looking out from the top of a mountain is firmly cross off that list." I snickered at Issin's comment, appreciating the sentiment. "Oi! Don't laugh! I've never gone hiking before. I was always stuck in the city."

"Not even a tall building?" I asked, joining Kirito on the carved steps that led the way down.

"No. Not for a sunset. Though I think I'll do that once we get out of here." The rest of our group took a seat at the top of the stairs, each losing themselves in their thoughts.

After a time, I looked around, wondering where the red haired girl we had helped was. "I'm surprised Asuna isn't joining us."

"She should be here soon. She's just a little lost over the situation that sprung up after Kirito pulled the trigger on any chance of socialising with the clearers."

"Nice description, Klein." The man stood and gave an exaggerated bow, rolling his hand in front of him towards an imaginary audience. "But really though. Are you going to be okay, Kirito?" I asked, pushing my breakdown to the back of my mind.

"I'll deal with it. I mostly play solo anyway, so it's not like anything really changed. What about you guys? I imagine your reputations can't be in a very good spot right about now."

"Ah, about that." Klein the back of his neck, groaning nervously.

"Congratulations, Kirito. You're the leader of a cult!" Issin grinned, giving the teen two thumbs up.

"What!?" Kirito lurched forward in shock, nearly tumbling down if I hadn't saved him by the back of his new coat.

"When one of Diavel's party members called us out on following after you and Asasaki, Klein said a few things on the spot that made us seem like we were following you as some kind of chosen one." Dale sighed and shook his head in disapproval.

"The one who will save us all! The prophesied hero who shall unite us all under one banner! Lord Kirito shall pave the way towards freedom!" Issin stood up, striking various dramatic poses that I found myself quietly applauding for.

"Please tell me you're joking?" Kirito's voice cracked towards the end, his grin looking fairly pained.

"You wish he was joking. _I_ wish he was joking. Choryu and Issin didn't help matters, and Harry ended up breaking his usual stoic personality to talk about how he'd follow you to the ends of the earth." Kunimitzz stared at the four of us on the bottom step through a half lidded eye, propping his head on his right hand.

"In my defence, the whole situation was essentially the premise of a manga. Do you really think I could have let that pass without a word?" Harry smiled, leaning back on his hands.

Kirito turned his gaze downward, his shoulders falling slightly.

"Hey, Kirito. I don't care if you need to run off ahead to stay ahead of the curve. I don't care if you play solo. You helped me out when this whole mess started. And by proxy, you helped all of us out. You'll always have a place with Furinkazan, no matter what." I turned away from the bromance Klein was creating, shaking with laughter..

"You okay, Miss Asasaki?"

I took a moment to calm myself before looking up at Choryu. "Y'all really know how to make a gal feel special, you know that?" I breathed, feeling the edges of my vision start to tear up.

"Ah?" Haru seemed incredibly lost, blinking several times with his mouth open.

"Hey guys?" I leaned back, resting my head on the knees of a surprised Dynamm. "Thanks for putting up with me. I really appreciate it." I closed my eyes, basking in the presence of my companions. We stayed that way for a few minutes, the silence of the wind broken by the sound of tapping footfalls.

"Oh, Asuna-san. Glad you could make it. Great view, isn't it?"

Asuna didn't respond to Klein's greeting, her footsteps slowly approaching us. "What was that about?" she eventually asked.

"You're going to have to specify, Miss. We just had a discussion on Klein's spark of insanity in response to Kirito's martyrdom." Kunimitzz let out a long groan, settling for expressing his displeasure by smacking his head into his palms repeatedly.

"Both, then." Asuna sat down beside Choryu, glancing at my position.

"The majority of the group was starting to turn against beta testers as a whole," Dale started. "Their biggest targets at the time were Argo and Kirito. Kirito took it upon himself to make him look like the real bad guy to try and protect Argo the rest of the testers. Sort of like the villain you'd see in shows or stories who doesn't care for anybody and is only looking out for themself."

I sat up, taking over when Dale paused to take a breath. "What Scruffles ended up doing was basically one big show of solidarity, though in probably a really poorly executed way."

"What kind of people would we be if we let one of our friends stand alone?" Issin reached down to ruffle Kirito's hair, laughing at the cry of indignation the teen gave.

"Our offer extends to you too, Asuna-san. If you ever need a group, for anything, don't be afraid to ask us. We're all in this together." Klein's words brought a gentle smile to my face.

"We should head down to «Urbus» and activate the warp gate. I imagine everybody's starting to get antsy with how long it's been since word must have been passed that we beat the floor boss." Kirito smoothed his hair back to its normal messy look, the sun framing him in light.

"By the way, Miss Asasaki. The leader of group B wanted me to let you know that he wanted to talk with you later on. Preferably before the next boss fight. He seemed really concerned." The red haired girl followed after the one handed sword user, her hair trailing behind her like a ribbon.

I let out a sigh. "Thank you, Asuna-san. I'll try and meet up with him later this week. His name was Agil, right?" I turned to Klein, mindful of the distance between each step.

"Yeah. Do you want me to set up a meeting for you two? We added each other since we were group leaders."

"That'd be great. Thanks." Kirito tilted his head slightly and muttered something. "What was that?" I skipped the last few steps of the flight, moving to his side.

"There's forty eight steps on each flight," he repeated.

"What's so special about that?" There was value in that number, but the reason refused to reveal itself to me.

"That's how many players consist of a raid party for this game. Every single player in a group could be on a single flight at the same time. I just thought it was interesting that the designers would make it like this." Kirito looked back up the previous flight, the zigzagging pattern preventing anyone from seeing two or more flights without standing at the connecting platform between each one.

"It's a nice thought, however, I don't think they had such a divided group in mind when they were conceptualizing this place though."

I nodded at Harry's words, recalling that there was a palpable tension in the air when I had left the hall. "So where are all the cities in this place? All I saw were grassy fields and plateaus."

"The cities on this floor were dug out of the rock. The walls would act as natural protection in the real world, but at the same time a complete death trap if anything hostile got inside. There's actually a few places like that over on the eastern side, a death trap I mean. The monsters spawn fairly in there regularly, but they're also at a higher level than the rest of the area, even for the western plains. There are no safe zones around it either, so you have to go in fully stocked."

"In the east, death. In the west, also death. So what places are safe to go?" Klein asked.

"Some of the caves in the east side of the floor and the the central plains. We don't come across anything humanoid until we get closer to the Tower at the south. By the way, the easiest way to describe this floor would be the 'Cow Level'. The majority of all the drops here are leather, beef, and milk. There's some monsters in the caves that drop upgrade materials, but you have to go out of your way to hunt them down."

I killed the words as they formed in my mouth, remembering that two of our companions were still underage. "Good thing we all have the «Leather Armor» skill, right?" I said instead, quelling the image of the kinds of outfits one could make from leather.

"No kidding. Though if we finish up that quest line back in «Tolbana» we might be able to collect enough materials to make some decent metal armor. Hey, Kirito. Should we make the armor on the lower floors or create them on the higher?" Klein leaned forward to make contact with Kirito's eyes.

"I don't really mess around with metal armor, but if you can upgrade something at least four times it should last you to the next floor or two." Kirito cupped his chin. From his body motion, I assumed he was looking up at the sky. "But if you're going to get anything from the NPC's, you're probably better off doing it on a higher floor. Just about everything I used back in the beta was either player made or dropped by a monster, so I don't know if they'll have the same recipes from floor to floor."

"Ah… and now I'm wondering whether we're better off grinding for drops or if we should just get our gear crafted." Mr. Scruffles scratched his head, slowing down to talk to Harry.

"I'd get your gear crafted for the time being. It's probably better than store bought gear, and if you can always try and reference the stats to the local equipment to see if it's worthwhile, at least until Argo creates a list of the minimum requirements to safely traverse a floor."

"Would Argo really do that?" Asuna asked.

"It's how she is. With how many people are still stuck in «Town of Beginnings», she'd probably get around to it eventually." Kirito pointed out a cave in the distance that we needed to take, commenting on how it the last time he had gone through it it was straight path that was manmade.

"These fields are really empty," I commented. The starwell from the first floor had been a gradual climb down, the landings becoming larger and larger until it deposited us on the grasslands at the lowest part of the floor.

"The monsters have a reduced spawn rate for about two hours, the same length that it takes for the main portal to automatically activate. It's so that way the people who just got past the boss fight don't need to worry too much about getting into fights before they can repair their gear." Kirito stared up at the sky, his hands resting in his pockets. "But that's only for the direct path to the warp gate. If you take any detours then the spawn rate will be normal."

"The developers put a lot of thought into this world, didn't they?" Issin hefted his spear, swapping it to his other shoulder.

"Kayaba spent years working on this place. Between his own work and then input from everybody that worked for him, there's probably very little that they didn't think about." There was an undertone of admiration in Kirito's voice, one that I agreed with as much as I hated the man for trapping so many people in here.

As we neared the tunnel Kirito had mentioned, Harry pulled open his menu, a finger resting over something. "Will we need our lights?"

"Nah. There are torches set up for the primary paths. But if you go exploring on your own you'll need a light source."

True to Kirito's word, the path through the cliff face was entirely man made. There was a smooth look to it that seemed as if people had spent time improving the appearance, smoothing out the walls and creating holders for torches that never seemed to go out, a stark contrast to the jagged appearance of the curved ceiling.

"Kirito, how long did you spend in here? You sound like you've memorized a lot about this world." I jumped slightly, remembering that for once I wasn't the only female in the group of seven plus males.

"Pretty much all my free time was spent playing the beta. Honestly, I feel like if I didn't spend so much time doing quests I would've been able to get farther than I did, but if I did that I wouldn't know what's the most efficient." Kirito seemed regretful about the situation, the longing he expressed almost capable of garnering sympathy if it didn't sound like such a waste of time.

"Waah… Are you a shut-in, Kirito?" Asuna seemed a little disgusted with the black haired. I could imagine her eyes narrowing as her hands raised up in warding.

"Sorry to disappoint, Asuna-san, but the majority of people who got in here are shut ins. Remember that only ten thousand copies were developed, and that for the most part there were people who waited in line for days just to get their copies." I let out a smile, shielding my eyes with an arm when we reached the other side. Our view from the mountain gave use very little opportunity to see what the town of «Urbus» actually contained, and the change in perspective was incredible.

Klein tilted his head at the sight that lay before us. "I know this is just a game and all, but could you imagine how amazing this place would be if it was real? I mean, it looks like they dug the buildings out of the earth!"

"Not sure if they'd be structurally sound against earthquakes though. Not like they couldn't find a source of water and make bricks and rebuild from that though. Maybe think about doing something with the sod depending on how the weather is around here." I placed a hand on Klein's back, peeking around him to take a look at the constructs. "Hm. Maybe once upon a time they were actually built straight from the earth, but some of those buildings were reconstructed. Seems like the buildings that are of actual importance are still the original."

"You can see that from here?"

I turned to meet Kirito's gaze. "I have better vision than most people; our senses from the real world seem to carry over in here. Plus, you had to learn how to differentiate between several things in my line of work. If you couldn't spot the discrepancies, you wouldn't last long." I stepped around my red headed leader, lazily making my way down the stairs. "You know, I don't particularly care about it since I'm still considering myself on vacation and all, but doesn't it feel like we're taking a step forward in the world? I mean, more than just leveling up and all."

"Like an experiment done by a group of people that succeeded and supported their theories, right?" Asuna raised a finger, pleased with her analogy.

"That's kind of a weird way of putting it, but pretty much. By beating Illfang, we're basically letting everybody know that we can beat this game." Kirito stopped us at a monument. At each corner, a simple obelisk rested while on the northern edge a large wall with undecipherable script written across it rested.

"So how do we activate this thing, Kirito?" Issin rested a hand on one of the spires, slowly dragged his hand down.

"Exactly like that." Kirito gently tugged me and Asuna back by our shoulders, a nervous smile on his face. In the center of the platform, arcane glyphs formed the outline of a vertical circle, the crystalline text rotating slowly as blue motes of light floated into it.

"I vote we all step back. All in favor?" I chimed, moving Kirito in front of me as a shield. The rest of our group took notice and moved towards us, forming a line with Kirito and Asuna as the center. "Hey, how'z about we all smile? If I'm reading this right, we're get to be the greeting party." I equipped my dao through the menu, my weapons resting on either side of my hip.

More a hum than a flash, the intensity the now sphere of blue slowly gained may as well have been a roaring campfire. Barely a second after the gate formed, an arm poked through, the exuberant face of a teen soon following. "Yahoo! We're doing it! We're actually gonna get out of here!" The brown haired male danced his way across the plaza, completely ignorant of our gathering.

"So. Greeting party." I snirked at Kunimitzz' words, wondering when I would become used to his deadpan delivery.

"Give it time, Kuni. Eventually the nicer people will step through." I smiled and waved at the group of people who eventually noticed us, making sure my appearance was more demure than I usually let myself seem.

"You seem really used to this," Klein whispered in my ear.

"My extended family has a small celebration for me whenever me or somebody who was on tour comes home. It's pretty much the exact same as this, but with children of various ages that are begging to play with their favorite aunt or uncle or trying to get cool stories out of us." I returned the looks of admiration with a broad grin, watching the procession of people step through. "Not sure how I feel about the lack of little tykes holding onto my legs and begging me 'not to ever, ever, leave again, ever', though."

"What, that fond of them?"

I mentally rolled my eyes at his response, my smile turning true for a brief moment. "It's important to fight for the future generation. They're born into the mistakes that we leave behind. We should do our best to make sure they have an easier time, you know?"

"And that's why I'm going to call you Grandma." I could practically feel the smirk on the black haired swordsman to my right.

"Oi, we were having a really touching moment. You shouldn't ruin stuff like that, you never know when it'll come around."

Kirito merely snorted, doing his best to keep up his strained smile. If it wasn't for our group, I imagined that he would've slunk off to take care of whatever long ago.

"Sorry I messed up the plan," I said, still using a whisper to converse with Klein. "I know we originally wanted to try and get some grinding in before everybody started exploring, but I got caught up in the moment."

"Don't worry about it. This feels nice. Like a hero who just came back from a battle." Klein waved enthusiastically to a group of girls who were sneaking looks back at us. Part of me wanted to call him out on his behavior, but I neither had the right nor was I willing to curb his joy at the moment.

"You're not wrong though. Eh? Kirito?" I looked to my right, blinking at the retreating figure of the swordsman garbed in black. "Hey, I'm going to go help him out. No offense, but don't bother following. I'm not sure you'll be fast enough to keep up."

"Let me know if you end up having to go into a dungeon or something!"

I waved my hand in acknowledgment, pumping my arms harder to try and keep up.

 _What caught your attention, little Bishie?_

* * *

 _Next chapter should be August 18th-19th._


	10. Aria of Fate

I charged up the steps, taking two at a time. Kirito had disappeared some time ago, the last sighting I had of him being of his coattail slinking behind a wall. Ahead of me, Argo's indicator continued advancing into the unmapped void.

For the past ten minutes or so we had been running, the path a gentle trail that was intermittently exposed to the canyon floor at our sides. From what I could see it seemed that we were running towards one of the pits Kirito had called an arena; were it not for his words just a little over an hour ago I would have been extremely worried about needing to perform an extraction in a dangerous situation.

"There are way too many damn stairs in this place," I grumbled, slowing to a crawl. With the top of the stair well in sight, I was mindful not to make much noise lest I give my position away. In the few moments I was able I could see the information broker, I gleaned that she was being pursued by two figures dressed in colored stereotypical ninja clothing. Considering that they had been pursuing her for this long, I didn't put it past them to use her as a hostage if I approached the situation poorly.

"That information, no matter how much you offer, is not for salE!" A huff escaped my lips. Though I had gotten used to it the first time around, it was still jarring to hear Argo's nasal inflection and the end of each of her sentences.

"You are not trying to monopolize the information, but neither do you wish to make it public? Are you merely waiting for an opportune moment to sell it an exorbitant price?!" To my novice ears, the livid voice seemed forcefully archaic.

"The price isn't the issuE! I just don't want to be blamed for what happens after I sell the informatioN!" I could hear the fear and rage intermixing on Argo's face, a fierce scowl directed at her pursuers.

"Why would we blame you? Regardless of the price, we would do nothing but express gratitude! So please, Lady Argo, sell us the information of the acquisition quest for the extra skill already!" Whether intentional or not, the two voices seemed to have fallen into a good cop, bad cop routine.

 _Acquisition quest? Extra skill?_

I frowned, inching up another step. At this point in time, my body was sprawled out in a fairly awkward position, one that would allow me to shoot forward slightly faster than a simple crouch would.

"There is nothing we would not do to get that information! We have delayed for far too long!"

I tensed, my right hand reaching under my body to draw my blade. Before I could act, the sound of somebody landing from a height reached my ears.

"What? Who are you?!"

"A spy from a rival clan?!"

I slowly stood, moving into a kneeling stance. Kirito had made his grand entrance, his coat blowing gently in the wind as he stood protectively between Argo and the two ninja cosplayers. The calmness with which he spoke prevented me from hearing, though based on his movements he seemed to be unintentionally goading the two.

"It's Fūma!"

"We are Kotaru and Isuke from the guild Fūmaningun!"

Kirito snapped his fingers, a broad smile appearing on his face. With his next words, he once again donned the role of misunderstood hear, inciting a large amount of rage from the two.

"Bastard! Are you from Iga?!" The two ninja assumed a combative stance, their hands reaching for the curved blades on their backs. I let out a breath of annoyance, purposely making my measured steps as loud as possible.

"You wish he was from Iga. No, the Little One over there is with me. Now, if you could kindly step away? I would hate to have this come to violence." I gave them a cold smile, letting the muscles in my cheeks push slightly into my eyes.

"This is no place for a woman! Leave, before we teach you your place!" The one garbed in green turned towards me, keeping his body perpendicular to me and Kirito. Beside him, the one garbed in just as light a blue, inched towards Argo and her defender.

"You seem to misunderstand. That wasn't a request. That was an order." All amusement left my voice, the man flinching back with a jolt. I drew my dao from my left side, letting it hang loosely by my leg. "I have business with that woman over there, and you are in the way." In the back of my mind, I mused that perhaps a harsh demeanor wasn't the best of options, but I refused to let their sexist remark pass without a word.

"Asasaki, don't!" Kirito drew his weapon, extending a hand towards me.

"Don't worry about your auntie, kid! Just keep our broker safe!" I stalked towards the pretend ninja, stopping at around half the maximum distance of Reaver. "I shall ask again. Leave."

The one in blue reached towards his companion, pulling his roughly to whisper something in his head.

The green on jerked his arm away, releasing his grip on his weapon. "Fine. We shall get our information another time. But do not think this is over, information broker. We will come for you again." The two walked past me, their steps quickening when they met my gaze.

"You can be really scary sometimes, you know that?" Kirito's voice cracked part way, a strained smile on his face.

I sheathed my weapon, moving over to Kirito and Argo. "It's part of the job. To get the right responses, you eventually learned how to differentiate between a murderous scold and an emotionally breaking scold." I turned my gaze to my fellow blonde. "Sorry it took so long, Argo. You guys had a bit of a head start on us." I gave an apologetic smile and shrugged a single shoulder.

"Don't worry about iT. I'm just glad help arrived on timE." Argo brought a finger to her lips, looking between the two of us. "I supposed I do owe you, you especially Kii-bou." She nodded to herself, grinning brightly. "Very welL! One piece of any information, free of chargE!"

"I can take a rain check on that, right?" It would be nice to have something like that in a pinch. I might need to gather information on another group such as those ninja one day.

"Of coursE."

"So who were those two, Argo?" I asked. Beside me, Kirito folded his arms, his face screwing up in thought.

"500 coR," she immediately responded.

"Tsk. I'm curious, but not that badly." Argo laughed, covering her mouth with a hand. "They must have wanted something pretty impressive if they were chasing you down for ten minutes though."

"Argo. I'm using my free information. Tell me about the the acquisition quest you guys were talking about."

The whiskered woman shifted. "Kii-bou, I was serious about not wanting to be blamed for what happened."

"Then I promise not to blame you," he said immediately.

Shs sighed. "Very welL. But it would be easier to show yoU." The broker turned to look at me, a coy smile on her face. "You're welcome to join us, Miss DevelopeR. I have a feeling Kii-bou will end up telling you if I didn't invite yoU. Whether you decide to try it out or not I'll leave up to yoU."

"Ho? Have you decided to spread that tidbit about me?"

"Nope. You just need a nicknamE. If you want me to actually spread it then you'll need to pay the feE."

I grumbled. Eventually my joking would come back to bite me, but for the time being I couldn't bring myself to care too much. "So. Extra skills." I turned towards the straight sword user in our group, grabbing his attention. "Mind catching me up to speed while we go to wherever this place is?"

"I'm right here you, knoW." Argo shook her head and started walking, telling us to stick close.

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"This place is really out of the way," I muttered. The route we had taken was one that seemed completely random, a meandering route of twists and turns through underground rivers and cave systems before ending on a trek up an arduous mountain path fully exposed to a fall that grew greater with every step.

"Consider this part of your purchase, Kiri-bou," Argo said as we neared the top of the trail. "The way people found out about this quest, if they even came across it at all, was from an NPC on the seventh flooR. Those players from Fūmaningun would have likely heard about it from the beta, and ever since the public version of this world started they've been pestering me about the quesT."

"Couldn't you just say you didn't know or something to get them to shut up?" Kirito stopped beside me, staring out at the horizon. It was the complete opposite view from the one we had when we exited the stairwell connecting the first and second floor, being from the south instead of the north.

"Saying that even one time would lower my reputation the information brokeR,"

"So you decided to go the route of 'you know, but you refuse to sell it'. I can't argue with that, even if the result wasn't the best." I turned around, realizing that the place Argo brought us to was an oasis of sorts. A lone house, big enough for a single room at most, was situated between a single tree and a small pool of water. Small cliffs that seemed easily scalable surrounded the clearing, reinforcing the feeling of solitude.

"This is your last chance to back ouT. What happens afterwards will stay with you for the rest of your life, even if you hate it, so no blaming me for the resulT." Argo shuffled, keeping her back to us.

"Nice work on keeping that vague. I agree to your terms, Broker." I looked at Kirito, raising a brow when he took a while to respond.

"I promise I won't blame you for whatever happens here, Argo."

At the swordsman's words, the young adult brought us towards the house, motioning us inside. The room was spartan, containing nothing more than a single fur rug upon which an ancient man in a worn but sturdy gi meditating.

When he spoke his eyes remained closed, sounding every bit like the wise master he appeared to be. "You wish to be my disciples?"

"Yes," we said at the same time.

"Even though your training will be long and harsh?"

"Can't much worse than having giant stone creatures trying to turn me to dust," I cracking, sporting a sardonic grin.

The elder didn't respond, only standing up without a sound. He shuffled past us, leading us to an open space filled with boulders less than a minute away. "Your task is this: split any of these rock using naught but your hands. I shall teach you all I know when you are done."

Kirito tapped one of the stones. In a flashed he whirled around, mouth open. Whatever he was going to say was interrupted by the NPC's words, the man pulling out a set of ink based writing instruments.

"Until you complete your task, you are forbidden from leaving this mountain. As such…" The man disappeared, a blur shooting towards Kirito. The image coalesced briefly into that of the elder, his right arm invisible from the shoulder up while his left held his ink pot steady. When he blurred again I leapt back, curious as to what his response be. "Good! But you must accept this mark if you wish for me to recognize your efforts."

My gaze travelled towards Kirito, a laugh dying in my mouth at his appearance. "I'm all for it, Master." I closed my eyes, the memory of having done this from the other side flowing through my mind. As fast as he was the elder was surprisingly gentle, his strokes elegantly flowing across my cheeks.

"Your markings will only fade when you complete your training. Good luck, my students." The old man returned the inkpot and brush to his shirt and shuffled towards his hut.

"Hm." I examined Kirito's face, wondering why it seemed so familiar. After several seconds, he finally spoke up, having ceased his shaking. His eyes remained closed, however.

"Argo… you accepted this quest back in the beta, didn't you? And you gave up on completing it. That's why you played with those whiskers, and it became part of your character, didn't it?"

"BingO! Excellent reasoning, Kiri-boU! For discovering why I still use these whiskers and finding out about the extra skill, I'll tell you one more thing, on the housE!" Argo leaned in closely, a mad grin adorning her face. "That rocK? It's a demoN."

Kirito let out a groan, clutching his head in his hands. "Are my whiskers similar to yours?" He queried when he eventually recovered.

"Nah, they're pretty differenT," she managed, holding a fist to her mouth.

I looked between the two, mentally comparing the difference in brush strokes. Where Argo's were thin and at the edges of her face, Kirito's were long and broad, extending across his cheeks.

"What do they look like?" He asked hesitantly.

I snapped my fingers, recalling a still functioning alarm clock that one of my uncles had given me as a birthday present long ago. "Doraemon! You look like Doraemon!" At my words Argo fell to the floor, exploding into a fit of laughter. "What do mine look like, Kirito?"

"Er, you look sort of like a cat? Maybe a fox? He drew yours pretty close to your nose, and they curve towards the end. "

I hummed, ignoring the still laughing Argo. "How about a bet, Kirito?" I chose a rock at random and rapped it with my knuckles. "Whoever breaks their rock first gets a favor from the other person that can be cashed in at any time."

My words seemed to pump Kirito up, the male forgetting about the comical markings on his face. "If that's the case, are you sure you can keep up Granny?"

I snorted. "This granny can still beat you in more ways than you've been alive." I threw a lazy punch at the boulder, focusing on the health gauge. "Scan sounds pretty nice right about now. I know I dealt _some_ damage to that thing, but the gauge doesn't look like it even moved a pixel." The sound of flesh hitting stone started ringing out, Kirito assuming a stance that could charitably be referred to as a boxer's.

"Ahh~ That was a nice laugH. Let me know how it goes, you twO." The woman let out an amused sigh, waving as she started walking away.

I glanced over at my companion, deciding that if his form stayed the same by sundown I would guide him on how to improve it.

 _In the meantime,_

I settled into the ground, lowering myself in a horse stance.

 _A shame I won't get any calluses out of this._

Knk.

 _I wouldn't mind seeing how hard my knuckles got after punching at a rock long enough to break it in two._

Knk.

 _Guess there's nothing that can be done for it._

Knk.

 _Oh man, my body's going to be completely useless when I get out here._

In the end it took Kirito and me around three days to break our rocks, with myself being faster than him by an hour or two. In that time, I found myself discovering that my previous limits had been shattered, something Kirito attributed to my stats. On the second day I had lost myself in my thoughts, entering a state of meditation that lasted several hours while my body chipped away at the rock punch after endless punch. When I awoke from my thoughts, Kirito expressed a great deal of concern, something that failed to disappear in his body language even after I explained the situation .

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I weaved my newly learned «Shoulder Barge» between each of my strikes, steadily increasing the total «Post Motion» I would suffer once I stopped moving. Though it wasn't a full gain, Kirito and I estimated that the length of time was reduced by less than 50%. With most of the skills we had access to, it was only tenths of a second that I was stacking, but with the amount of moves I was chaining it often ended up into two seconds or longer. I finished the combo off with «Comet Cannon», the upgrade of «Reaver» carrying me past the «Trembling Ox». I closed my eyes, urging my body to move from its finishing position as soon as possible.

"Hraah!" Out of all of Furinkazan, only Kunimitzz had picked up the aggression drawing skill «Howl». With the ability to forcibly cause monsters to change their targeting, we were able to be much more liberal with our attacks, trusting in the raven haired halberd user to keep our aggressors off us. When I was finally able to move three seconds later, I turned around to watch the assault of my allies.

Accompanying me on this trip were Choryu, Kunimitzz, and Klein, the other four taking the day to handle the fetch quests in «Urbus». Normally the bane of any player's existence (according to Klein and Issin), city based quests in this world seemed specifically designed to show the player the most readily accessible services as well as allowing them to complete their map if they chose not to buy the information from an NPC.

The rewards from said quests weren't great, and in most cases you were better off spending the time fighting monsters instead, but if you wanted to enjoy your time instead of spending it in combat then it was a good alternative. After another improvised combo, this one incorporating the usage of the multitude of kicks at my disposal, the gargantuan ox shattered, a window appearing in front of all of us.

"Yes! Leveled up!" Klein performed a small dance, displaying a fluidity I never expected from him.

I dismissed the three «Trembling Hides» to my inventory and made my way over to the red head. "Klein? When are we planning on exploring the caves or western plain?"

"Maybe after another ox or two. As for the plains, Argo's guide says we shouldn't head out there until at least level 15 or so."

"Hm." I followed Klein's lead, moving to his left. At this point in time, a proper formation wasn't necessary aside from letting Kunimitzz lead; the monsters around here had a rather large targeting radius and without aggression drawing skills, the majority of players had to learn how to be a matador to avoid the first attack if they didn't outright run away. "How have things been in the city?" I asked.

"It's a mixed bag. Now that people know the information in Argo's guide books might not be up to date, there's a lot more precautions being taken whenever people head out. You were right about what you said though when we first got here. People seem pretty excited about every push towards the tower, even if they're mostly staying in the safe zones. Oh, by the way. There aren't any blacksmith NPC's in «Urbus» so we might have to use the warp gate to repair our gear back in «Town of Beginnings»."

"That sounds like an incredible hassle." I frowned. "That's a little odd that there aren't any blacksmiths around though. This place feels like it'd be perfect for that sort of business."

"Asasaki, you misheard me. I said NPC blacksmiths. There's a handful of players that picked up skills related to smithing. They're set up around the city along the main streets, but they're kind of hard to find and they usually have a line of some sort by the time you find them." Klein laid his hand on my head, patting me a few times.

"It's safe to do repairs, but trying to make upgrades or purchasing items might not be the best idea." Choryu looked up from his bestiary, marking his place with a finger. "There's not many merchants that really know what they're doing, so what you get out of it might have not be as good as it should be. Plus, you have to supply most of the materials yourself; most of the materials that

I hummed thoughtfully. "Makes me feel like we should wait a couple days before trying to see what the craftsmen can make." I tilted my head, staring off into the distance. "Another Ox is coming our way. What if we tried business plan with somebody? We offer excess materials and go to them for things we need, in exchange they give us reduced prices. We get weapons and maintenance for cheap, they gain much needed experience to level up. Win win, no?"

Possibly. I dunno about setting something like that permanently though. It'd be a shame to only use one person for forever." Klein paused, focusing on the shape on the horizon. "Hey, doesn't that thing look a little different from the other oxen?"

Choryu made a face, cupping his chin. "Scan can't get a lock on it from this far. We better get set up while we can." The three of us fell back, increasing the distance between us and our two hander.

"Oi, Klein. What's the suggested amount of people to take down one of those «Tremble Oxes»?" I forced a grin onto my face, the presence of the creature dawning on me.

"Four works if you have somebody to force aggro, but if you can use at least a full party you're better off so you can take them down quickly." Klein shifted his stance into one more suited for running, his face betraying any confidence he tried to show.

"Get ready!" Kunimitzz ran towards the cliffside, baring his weapon in front of him. The quadruped that was targeting us lacked the horns of all the other cows we fought before and was nearly twice as big, dwarfing even the rock seneschal we had encountered back near «Tolbana».

My eyes shot up to the gauge above its head, focusing on the"Klein, what's up with the indicator?! Every other monster I've seen was deep red!"

"The indicator changes based on level difference! Monsters higher than you have a darker color, while monsters weaker have a lighter!"

Kunimitzz let out a war cry, a torrent of light bursting out from him. The beast changed its focus onto the noiret, lowering its head to headbutt him.

"«Tembling Cow», level 14! 1425 hp! Working on weaknesses!"

"Should we even bother with weaknesses? It looks like we can just hack at it!" I launched myself onto its hind leg, taking a split second to orient myself before sprinting up onto its back. Even if the origins were the same, this world was truly different from reality. I doubted I could have managed to scale even halfway without the system assisting me.

My sword snaked out with every step as I approached its neck, scoring line upon line on its back. With Kuni's actions goading it, the bovine charged towards the wall, bashing its head against the wall with the halberd user nowhere in sight.

After several impunit strikes, the creature roared a moo, its bucking motions curving towards the wall. "Do all creatures do this?!" I sheathed my weapon, pulling it free from the corded bindings that kept it attached to my belt. Blade in hand, I leapt off the cow's back, briefly falling spread eagle before moving into landing properly. Even with the extended roll that my body innately performed, I wasn't exempt from any damage.

"This might take some time." Klein directed Kunimitzz back towards the center of the canyon. "Asasaki, try to hit the head next time."

I gave Klein a nod, running off to a better position. A few minutes later, I fell to the earth, the «Trembling Cow» shattering into fragments of data beneath me. I let out a reflexive grunt when I landed poorly, my health immediately dipping by 20%. "Starting to get real tired of all these giant monsters. When do we start getting to fight normal sized beings again like those goblins?"

"Apparently it's to help us get used to fighting in person, at least for those of us that aren't already used to it." Klein handed me a potion, giving me a look when I didn't immediately drink it. "Kirito said that humanoid enemies with a better AI start appearing on the third floor. Everything we meet up till then is meant to teach us stuff and can only use basic combos and attacks.."

I made a noise of understanding as I looked through my interface. "«Trembling Milk»? It's a boring naming convention, but I guess it makes sense. Would certainly make it easier for any guides to reference what items came from what monsters." My «Martial Arts» skill did the same, each of the names for the kick based moves utilizing a combination of an adjective and the kanji "getsu", meaning moon instead of month as I originally thought. The naming didn't always make sense either, in the case of «Water Moon» (a simple roundhouse) and «Crescent Moon» (a kick done during a backflip).

"How much «Trembling Milk» did you get?" Kunimitzz asked over his shoulder. "There's a restaurant in the northern part of «Urbus» that sells a dish called «Tremble Shortcake». You might be able to get some at a cheaper price if you can work something out."

"Two units," I responded. "Shame I don't have anything else that might be used in a pastry though. It'd be nice if I could get it for free." I flicked through my my inventory, droning at how nearly everything was enhancement materials.

"I heard that that cake is actually pretty expensive. Around triple the price of normal meals there." Choryu moved to my side, smiling when I met his gaze. "But apparently it's worth it since it's a full cake and not just a slice." At the dagger user's guidance, Kunimitzz took point, leading us towards a nearby cave system.

"I guess I'll go check it out when we get back to the city. What sort of monsters are we looking at, anyway?"

"Bugs. Lots and lots of bugs. Fleshy worms, hard shelled beetles, ants the size of dogs. Apparently they drop a lot of weapons that you wouldn't expect and a variety of upgrade materials. I think it's going to be fun for me; I get to act like I'm in photography club." Choryu laughed, grinning fondly.

"Sounds like a hassle to me." I stretched my arms above my head, longing for the sense of cracking bones. "So long as any juices that come from their bodies don't linger on me, I'll be fine. Actually, I take that back. I don't particularly care. S'not like I haven't been in a worse situation."

"One of these days, Asasaki, we're sharing a drink and you're going to to tell me all about these stories of yours."

"No promises on them being pleasant though." I smiled back at Klein,refusing to let the dour memories ruin my mood, before looking off into the distance. Here at the front lines there existed a strong sense of hope; back in «Town of Beginnings», stories said that time was still frozen there, with many of its denizens still shambling around in a daze. It was my wish that they would break free from their shock soon, realizing that even if this was a prison was it still well equipped for our stay.

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I held my newest weapon above my head, tilting it in the sunlight. Similar to my «Steel Kopis» but with a gentler curve and more weight at the end, through looks alone it was deserving of the name «Armor Splitter». Wounds caused by the weapon persisted longer than normal as a muted red. Attacks that landed on the markings had their damage increased by what we had guessed to be 20% or so.

I had split off from the group when we arrived back in «Urbus», citing a desire to explore on my own after being directed where to pick up the latest copy of «Don't Worry, it's Argo's Second Floor Guide!». Argo had once told me that the title was her way to try and assuage those back on the first floor, giving them a sense that the world outside the safe zones wasn't as bad as they imagined.

"Oh. Kirito, Asuna-san. It's good to see you again." I waved my right hand in greeting, stepping up to the two. "Just get back from a hunt?" I asked.

Kirito nodded, glancing at his companion before speaking. "It's safer if we going out with a partner instead of solo. Plus there's still some things I need to teach her, so it's better this way."

"Asasaki-san, do you happen to know where a blacksmith is? We've been searching for the past couple of minutes, but we haven't had any luck."

"Haven't you been in the city longer than us? I feel like you should have learned were most stuff is by now." I tilted my head slightly and raised a brow in disappointment.

Asuna scoffed. "I mean a player blacksmith. Of course I know there aren't any NPC smiths around here. I'm not that stupid. I'm asking because the one I normally use is out collecting materials with their party right now."

"We can always try again later," Kirito interjected, moving his hands in a placating manner, "How about we go to a restaurant in the meantime? I'm feeling kind of hungry."

I jumped in remembrance. "Speaking of which, do you know which restaurant around here sells something called a «Tremble Shortcake»? I picked up an item that Klein said was rumored to be a component of the dish and I want to see if I can get one at a discount."

The black haired teen blinked owlishly. "I know the place. I'm kind of surprised that people know about it already though. It's a little out of the way."

I chuckled. "The story goes that there's a group trying to set up the tourist version of Argo's guide. They're also the kind of people that are eager about the latest scoop, if you catch my drift. I'd be careful if people start prying into your lives, you might just end up a celebrity in this world." I snorted and looked away when Kirito and Asuna grimaced simultaneously. "So where's this place again?"

"Kirito-san, I've decided. I want to go eat at this place with the cake. Asasaki-san, you welcome to join us if you'd like."

I forced a smile, deciding not to make mention of the insinuation. "That sounds lovely."

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For a city that was built directly out of the stone, the restaurant was surprisingly modern; In front of the wine rack, a counter was set up for people to sit at, numerous tables were laid out around the room with cushioned chairs situated around them, and lit chandeliers were interspaced along the ceiling. As usual, it was impossible to view the chefs in the process of cooking.

"You mentioned that you guys went hunting earlier. What were you looking for?" I asked, sitting beside Asuna. The staff was more than happy to give me a small discount on the dish, provided I gave the materials while I was there.

"Wind Wasps. They drop materials that I need to continue upgrading my «Wind Fleuret» so I challenged Kirito-san to a small competition when he decided to help me out." The teen in question let out a quiet sigh. "The first person to fifty kills owed the other lunch. I ended up winning." Asuna gave a V sign, turning her grin towards Kirito. "And I plan on fully enjoying myself."

"Whatever happened to 'not here to eat good food'?" He questioned.

"If I'm going to be spending hours upon hours of my day fighting, I might as well enjoy my down time. Oh right. Have you thought about picking up any support skills, Asasaki-san? I already picked up «Tailoring» and I've been making clothes for myself before I go to bed. I asked Kirito-san while we were out, but he said that it would be a waste of a skill slot." She puffed up her cheeks, giving him a half hearted glare. "Really, it's like all he thinks about is efficiency."

"Harry says it's call min-maxing," I commented. "You boost a set of stats as high as possible to achieve the best results. The theory is that by being so optimized, you make up for your deficiencies."

"I suppose." Asuna grumbled, looking at her hands.

"If I do pick up a support skill, it's probably going to be either cooking, tailoring, or an instrument of some sort. Back in «Town of Beginnings» some of the NPC's could give small buffs if you listened long enough and I'm curious as to whether I anything I learn in here would transfer to the real world."

"Really? That's news to me. I wonder if you could weaponize that and become a bard." Kirito stared at the ceiling in thought .

"A what?" Asuna asked, snapping Kirito from his reverie.

"A bard. A character class in some games that help in battle by actively applying buffs though music and can also supply some damage. I'm how effective it would be, but there's probably going to be somebody who would try that out."

"I don't think what you're imagining would be possible. You have to stay sitting for at least a minute or two to get the buff, after all." I hummed, a thought coming to mind. "What if there was a bit of a festival or celebration before the clearing groups went off to battle?" I proposed. "There could be a band that supplies a variety of buffs before they headed off? Or even joined up with the clearers and supplied new ones at every safe zone?"

Kirito smiled broadly. "It's a nice idea. I certainly wouldn't mind being sent off to battle by a group musicians."

"Enough talk of work you two. Food's here." Asuna beamed at the dishes the waiter brought, her eyes twinkling with delight.

As Kirito had mentioned when we first arrived on this floor, the majority of the food was cow based, similar to how the first floor had numerous pork dishes. There was also a surprising variety of vegetables here, something Kirito suggested was just a stylistic choice.

"Have you met with Agil-san yet, Asasaki-san?" The redhead asked as we finished our meal.

I shook my head in denial. "I'm actually supposed to meet with him later tonight. We're going to check out a cave network that was discovered today."

"Really? Where's that at? I might know what you're talking about."

"A bit of a ways southeast of here." I told Kirito. "The group that found it had to turn back because they ran out of supplies on the way there, but hopefully with the way Agil's party should be set up we can make it without any difficulties."

"Wait, you said tonight? Isn't that dangerous?"

"We'll be spending the night at the safe zone there. Plus, they're all level 14 and managed to get their hands on some forged equipment. They want to see how they'll fare against the monsters so it's not like we'll be unprepared for it. I'm not really sure _why_ a dungeon of all places, but I'm not really complaining. I'm behind the curve as it is." I made a questioning sound in the back of my throat. "Honestly, it might have something to do with keeping my attention diverted so I'll answer truthfully."

"Truthfully? What, is he interrogating you?" Kirito joked.

"Potentially. I wasn't exactly kind to him when we met back in Illfang's room. I'm sure he has a couple questions for me." Their expressions fell, remembering exactly how I had been acting at the time.

"Asasaki-san, if you don't mind me asking, what was that about?"

I popped a strip of my dried fruit into my mouth, swallowing before I spoke. "There's been a decent amount of deaths near me the past year or so. Nearly all of them have been my fault and in the heat of the situation I guess my mind reverted back to the primal state I needed to survive those situations. Can't say I'm proud of what I've done, but if it kept me alive I won't complain."

"Asasaki," Kirito did his best to meet my gaze, settling for looking in my general direction. "Have you killed before?"

I made a point of enjoying my next bite, slowly peeling it off and popping it into my mouth. "Yes. And it gets both harder and easier after every time. It's best if you can't actually see your target; if all you're dealing with is just a figure or something you can't humanize. It's actually a really good thing all the enemies so far are actual monsters or gargantuan variants of real life creatures. It's a good primer to get people used to fighting."

I looked at the two teen, a pang of guilt shooting through me. "Sorry. That was in poor taste. What do you two plan on doing after this? You mentioned something about upgrading your gear?"

"Yeah. We have to hunt down a blacksmith though; the only NPC's in «Urbus» related to equipment are crafters that work with leather. By the way, can you give this to Agil when you meet him?" Kirito traded over a set of equipment called «Mighty Straps of Leather». "I'd use it myself, but when you equip it it's a little," Kirito trailed off, looking for the right word. "Showy."

Asuna's gaze slowly turned towards the male, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Didn't you try to get me to wear that?" She demanded.

"That was before I remembered what it looked like, I swear!" Kirito waved his hands frantically, trying to dispel her rage.

"You two make good partners." I smiled. "And I mean that in a complementary way, so go ahead and calm down." I chuckled at the looks of rage and embarrassment they sported. "Looks like it's time for dessert.

"Oh my gosh! That looks delicious!" Asuna gushed over the cake, a circle of halved strawberries resting atop the layer of white cream.

"It's the specialty of this floor. You can't pick it up anywhere else."

I hummed a little ditty in the back of my throat, eager to try out the confectionery. "You didn't get one for yourself, Kirito?" I asked, realizing only Asuna and I had a plate.

"It's pretty expensive, and since Asuna-san has me paying for her, I decided not to get one for myself. I'm a little surprised you managed to get it sliced though; I don't remember that being around in the beta."

"Guess it's just another one of those things that they changed. When I asked them if they could just serve me a slice and pack the rest in a to go box they were more than happy to." My mouth twitched upon the first bite. It wasn't bad per se, but there was a limit to how much sweetness I could handle at any single time and the cake was pushing that to its limits.

"Not a fan of it, granny?"

"It's a little too sweet for me." I gave a strained smile, trying to hide exactly how badly it was effecting me.

"Really? I think it's perfect."

"It's probably your youth that's letting you eat that so quickly. I think I'm going to end up having to share this with Klein and the others." I took another spoonful of the desert, just to make it worthwhile, before pushing it towards Kirito. "You mind finishing the rest of it for me?" I pulled open my inventory without double checking, effectively forcing the teen to accept.

 _You get messy way too easily._

I tapped the 'sort' button for my second through fourth inventory boxes, still using the first for the things I had equipped or deemed vital for combat. "Any complaints if I follow you guys on trying to find a blacksmith? I'd like to try and upgrade my «Armor Splitter» before I head off."

"Not at all, Asasaki-san. With three people, we might be able to find somebody sooner." I stared at Asuna's plate, brow furrowing when I realized she had eaten half of it already.

"Hopefully we get lucky and find it pretty soon. It looks like they added a «Luck» buff to the cake. It might improve your chances for successfully getting that fifth upgrade."

I closed out of my interface, looking up at Kirito. "Upgrades have a chance to fail?"

"Past the fourth one, at least. Even the ones below that can fail, but the chance for that happening is around 5% or less. Wasn't this is Argo's First Floor Guide?" He stared me at in confusion.

"I don't really read it," I admitted. "Between my own style of combat, Choryu and his «Scan» ability, and Harry's penchant to be a walking encyclopedia, I prefer discovering things on my own when I can."

"You know you're going to have to read up on that sort of thing eventually," he chided.

"Maybe. But it's not like the beta information extends throughout the entire game. You guys only managed to make it up to the tenth after all, so if I can shift my pattern recognition skills to the game now it'll be easier for me in the long run."

Asuna gave a breath of amusement, doing her best to sound disapproving but failing. "Some vacation, slacking off that badly."

"Hey, if all else fails I'm just going to say I'm on sabbatical. That's good for up to a year, so I can come back whenever I feel like." I thanked the NPC for bringing the box that contained the rest of my cake, leaving a few cor on the table as I rose. "Besides, I'm sure one day I'll get tired of just doing what I want to because I want to. Eventually I'll get to the front lines helping out with each push, or at the very least helping out Argo or Choryu with the Bestiary for each floor."

Kirito folded his arms. "Now that you mention it, I'm a little surprised Argo doesn't plan on getting that skill. Must be because she's not exactly a fighter, even if she can hold her own."

"On that note, a question." I held the door open for the two, letting them lead. "Why did you tell me not to fight that day?"

Asuna looked between the two of us in confusion, a wordless question on her lips.

"If you attack another player without being in a duel, the first person to land an attack of any sort, even against a parry or block, has their indicator changed from green to orange. If it's just an attack, your cursor will change back to green after a couple hours, but if you kill somebody then it permanently becomes orange, same thing for the fifth infraction. I'm sure there's a quest or item that can revert it, but it'd probably be a long and troublesome thing. Also, you can't get inside cities or most safe zones if you're an Orange Player."

"Huh. I guess that's why those two Fūma ninja decided not to attack. It'd be a pain to make it to the second floor and then be locked out of the first city on the day it was opened." I dismissed the cake to my inventory, raising my thumb and pinky to ear. "I'm going to take a look around from the rooftops. Message me if you guys get lucky, okay?"

"We'll check the south side of the city. Good luck!" Kirito called out as I left.

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Instinctively, I knew what I was about to do was impossible. Consciously, I knew that I was more than capable of running up to the top of the spire. I'd done it before on the cows out in the fields after all.

From my impromptu roost atop one of the towers near the center of «Urbus», the roads spread before me like the strands of a spider web. In the four days since we had activated the warp gate, «Urbus» had exploded into a den of activity, significantly more than how «Tolbana» was.

All around the city, people milled about their business. Those who fought in full or partial armor, while those that didn't stayed in regular clothing. There was a clear divide who was who, but that didn't stop a significant portion of the inhabitants from intermingling.

#We're still good for this evening, right?#

I responded to Agil's message quickly, taking another look over the roads to plot a course. "Klein mentioned that they can only set up along the main roads, didn't he?" I took a half step back before launching myself off the roof. Regardless of whether I failed my landing due to the numbers that dictated the upper limit of my abilities, I wouldn't suffer and damage thanks to the «Safe Zone» settings in place.

Ordinarily, running across rooftops would require them to be spaced close together, or for the building you were leaping to to be lower than your launch point, but with the amount of points I had put into dexterity (and possibly strength) I was able to make every single jumped, even when cross a road. After a few minutes, the familiar sound of clanging metal reached my ears, echoing up the streets.

I followed the sound along the rooftops, guided towards the north eastern section of «Urbus». When I landed, I noticed a despondent man in plate armor being led away, his helmet a tri-horn piece that seemed more decorative than practical.

"He looks like he just got fired from his job," I remarked, turning to look at the surprised blacksmith. The nervous man stared me with wide eyes, furtively looking around. "What, haven't seen somebody leap off a building?" I grinned. "You'd think with those ninja running around it'd be a more common sight." I raised both hands into the air, shaking my head. "Oh well. Guess if you haven't noticed them then they're better than I thought." I pulled my «Armor Splitter» from its depressingly leather sheath. "Can you repair this for me? Oh, and upgrade it to +4 as well, with three points into Quickness and one into Sharpness, please. I should have all the materials needed, but let me know if I'm missing out on something."

The man, a few inches away from being worthy of the image the term fantasy dwarf would be bring to mind, stared at my offered weapon. "I haven't seen this weapon before," he said slowly. His expression morphed from one of poorly concealed anxiety to one of awe and joy.

"I picked it up today off some monsters in a cave. Still say it's weird that bugs and insects are dropping weapons." I shook my head once more, giving another smile. "So, can you pull the job off? I've heard players are only recently getting into the production skills, so no worries if you can't do it right now."

"I can do it. Three Q and One S, you said?" He asked, using the shorthand terms for the attributes.

"Yup." I handed over the first batch of items, including a few dozen extra cor for labor purposes.

The man, Nezha based on the floating block of text above his carpet, fiddled with the furnace set at the rear corner of his workplace, tapping a few things before tossing in the steel ingots and various wing based materials from all the insects I had killed the past few days that turned the flames turned a vibrant green. Ordinarily, I would have panicked and covered my nose for fear of something in the air, but information from Argo's First Floor Guide let me to keep my cool.

Nezha stuck my weapon into the flame briefly, taking it out and setting it on his anvil. His hammer, a matte silver, swung towards my sword, hitting it ten times in succession. "There's one upgrade. The materials for the next one, please?"

The next few minutes passed in silence, the man, perhaps young adult, completing his work with a pleased smile on his face. "And there's the last one. An «Armor Splitter 3Q 1S». Thank you for letting me work on it."

"No problem. Having you do the work means helping you level up, which means you can help others out even better in the future." I gave a few experimental swings, nodding at the slight improvement I felt with each strike. "Are you staying out longer? I have a few friends who wanted to upgrade their weapons today."

"Ah." Nezha smile became forced, one that was obviously meant to appease a customer for those that knew what to look for. "I'm actually staying out for around three more hours or so. I don't head off until sunset."

"Perfect. I'll just need a moment." I turned away from the stall, sending off a message to Kirito. A few minutes later, the two waved when they saw me, moving from a walk into a light jog.

"Is this the guy?" Kirito asked.

"Yup. Seems pretty good, if you ask me. Upgraded my weapon all four times with no problems." I raised a thumb, hoping that my praise wouldn't come across as superficial.

Kirito eyed Asuna as she stepped up to Nezha, a small frown forming on his face. "Doesn't he seem a bit off to you?"

"A little bit. Somebody before me left that basically looked like a zombie. His friends had to help him away." As before, Nezha tossed the materials Asuna offered into his furnace, turning the flames a bright blue.

"Give me your hands," Asuna said suddenly, running over to us.

I blinked, imagining Kirito's expression was the same as mine if his inquiry and anything to go by.

"Give me your hands!" She repeated. "Maybe the luck effect we have will combine that way."

I snorted, offering my hand. "I'm not sure that's how it works, but if you say so," I sung.

"Kirito-san, come on!" The girl reached out for his hand, tugging us along to the anvil.

Clang!

Nezha struck once, the weapon glowing yellow where he struck. Nine times he repeated this process, strain showing on his face that couldn't have been from the process alone. On the tenth strike, something happened that I had only ever seen from those with health bars.

* * *

 _Next chapter should /probably/ be out by August 25-26th._


	11. Torment of Solitude

_So here's a story. While I was writing this, my brain started dying on me. I was second guessing myself at every turn. I was growing mad with the idea that I've used all of these phrases and patterns far too often. Trying to work through this was like trying to swim through molasses or a muddy river while fully clothed._

 _So I'm taking a break! A week or two at most. I'm going to read through everything I've written up to this point. Maybe do some more editing to all the chapters, take notes on things I might have mentioned and need to take care of at some point. It's mostly going to be me time._

 _Come this weekend I'll probably just do a handful of snippets regarding conversations Asasaki might've had with other people; mostly along the lines of learning the gaming lingo (for being born in the 1990's she's actually fairly ignorant in terms of MMO terms)._

 _The week after that I might do a mostly unedited upload; that is to say, it'll be my normal writing process before I go through and polish stuff up, complete with notes on how I want things to proceed or should add. I want my next update or two to be fun, dammit! Not this slog fest that makes me cry because my inner critic is going Dark Lord on me._

* * *

I forced a smiled onto my face, keeping the shock from showing. Considering what I had seen not too long ago, it seemed impossible for somebody to have such spectacular failures so close together.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I'll pay you back completely, I swear!" Nezha prostrated himself before us, sheer anguish that seemed far too real to be an act in his voice.

"No, no. It's fine, Nezha-san. I knew what I was getting into with my upgrade attempt." I gently relieved Asuna's suffocating grip, disguising the action as one of comfort.

"I-I, I know it's not much, but I have a «Steel Rapier» if you don't mind the downgrade." Nezha pulled out the named weapon, his whole body trembling.

"That's okay. Well figure out something. Thank you for trying." Asuna gave a deep bow, still holding onto us.

"C'mon, Asuna-san. We can talk back at our room." Kirito guided the girl away, his other hand on her back.

As much as I wanted to say something to the smith, the nagging feeling in my mind kept me from speaking up. In the end I stood there stupidly for several seconds before joining my teen companions. "I'm sorry for your loss," I said, not sure what else I could offer.

"It's." Asuna stilled. "It's not fine." She hid her face in her hands, shaking.

"It was going to happen eventually, you know." Kirito rubbed her back, displaying a familiarity I didn't expect from the two. "At some point your weapon would no longer be useful, especially once you maxed out your upgrade attempts."

"I know." She sniffed. "But I just. She was so different from the «Iron Rapiers» I used. thought I'd have that weapon forever. It felt so right, using it. Every strike I made was so smooth, it felt like the weapon itself was helping me."

Kirito shuffled, looking at me for assistance. "We can go find replacement weapon if you want. I know it won't be the same, but at least you'll have something."

Asuna stood, removing her hands from ours to wipe away her tears. "I think I'm actually done for the day. Thank you for the meal, Kirito-san. And I'm sorry to send you off on such a sour note, Asasaki-san." The redhead gave a deep bow, one I felt compelled to wave away.

"Don't worry about it." I gave Kirito a meaningful look. "I'll be heading off now. Let me know if you need help with anything, alright? I know my biggest impressions are that of a mean old lady, but I'm here for you, both of you. Take care, alright?" I gave a soft smile and enveloped the girl in a hug before heading off.

 _Look at her. Crying over something a simple as a weapon._

I scoffed, annoyed with myself for thinking that. It was true that I couldn't fully understand why she had responded the way she did, I could relate to the loss of something you felt vital to your survival.

I pulled open my interface and began composing a message to Agil. #Meeting at the south gate, right?#. When he returned with a confirmation, I doubled my pace, putting the situation behind me for the time being.

At this time of day most groups were already out doing their farming runs, though that didn't stop some people from turning nocturnal, claiming that there was less competition for resources. I walked over to four lingering by one of the benches, vaguely recognizing the figure covered in metal plating. "Are you guys with Agil?" A male a few inches short of breaching the six foot mark stepped up, a pleasant smile on his face.

"You must be Lady Asasaki." He extended his hand in greeting, his scattered blue metal plating and axe summoning the image of a certain fictional lord.

"Hey, it's the demon ninja!"

"I- what?" I stared at the finger of a smaller blonde boy, his abnormally large two handed weapon attached to his back by a complex series of leather straps.

"Demon ninja! That's what they're calling the girl who took down half of Illfang's health bar after Diavel died!" The kid beamed and crossed his arms.

 _Chunibyo._

"Siegfried, she didn't do it alone, you know." His taller companion tilted his head, a reproachful look on his face. "The Beater and his girlfriend were there with her."

I did my best to speak. Every attempt died in my throat, half formed sounds barely getting out. The connotations of the nickname Demon Ninja bothered me in a way that I couldn't fully actualize.

"That's enough you two." The axe user clapped his hands, gaining their attention. "She's going to be part of our team for the next day or so. You should play nice." The two teens apologized and moved back to their spot by the wall to continue their conversation. "Sorry about them. They were really big on the idea of role-playing when they started this game and some of the personality traits they were gunning for stuck around."

"It's no problem." I gave an understanding smile. "By the way, what was your name?"

"Vector. And yes, the resemblance was intentional."

I gave him another once over, glad I initial suspicions were correct. "I imagine that goes over most people's heads." The specific entry was fairly old, even if it did receive a significant amount of attention from the mobile game.

"Yeah. Most of the people here didn't go out of their way to learn about it. They're mostly all MMO players, rarely touching handhelds."

"I see you two seem to be getting along." A heavy hand landed on my shoulder. In a different time I would have taken the offending arm and thrown its owner over my, but that was eons ago. "Glad you see you again, short stuff. How you doing?"

I couldn't help the grin that formed, realizing that Agil was speaking english. "Much better, now that you're here." I coughed, realising how that could have been taken. "Sorry. It's been awhile since I was able to speak proper english."

"I know what you mean. There's nothing wrong with the japanese language, but there's just too many formalities you gotta go through. It's nice being in here though. With everybody going by a handle or being the equivalent of shut in, there's not many people that are sticklers for the usual hoops."

I swapped back to japanese for the sake of our companions."Hey, sorry about what happened back in Illfang's room. I wasn't in the best place when that happened."

Agil laughed, a little surprised. "Don't worry about it. A lot of people were too shocked to do anything. It was you three that pretty much saved the day."

I made an ambiguous noise of agreement, rubbing the back of my neck. That moment wasn't something I was proud of, even if I did understand why it happened.

"Alright, guys. We've got our supplies and our final companion. Let's head off." Siegfried and his naginata using companion cheered, eagerly following Vector and the other silent member of our group.

A few minutes hike later (and a few insectoid monsters that the younger two eagerly dispatched), we found ourselves at the entrance of a steep cave, dozens of torches situated along the walls.

"I don't think I ever asked how bad this was going to be." I looked up at the two handed axe user. He seemed abnormally calm, perhaps even excited considering we were about to go into uncharted territory.

"Not that bad. All of our weapon skills are able to cut through defences and I stocked everybody else up on as many potions and restoratives as we could carry while still bringing in loot."

"Kinboshi's going first." The polearm user gave a shoddy imitation of a salute. "We're going to go back him up."

"Be safe," Agil responded, returning the motion.

"How old are they?" I asked, rubbing my thumb along the sheath of my blade.

"Yunyun's 17. HIs brother Siegfried is 14." The giant male grinned. "And before you ask, yes, he knows he chose a girl's name. Remember what I said about them being role players?"

I smirked. "You say that and all I'm thinking is how young they are."

Agil laughed. "Think of it as a form of acting, not just bedroom stuff. Like cast members at Disneyland."

I nodded, accepting his explanation.

"We're all clear!" YunYun's voice rose from the depths, the teen waving his weapon in the air.

"Ladies first." Agil motioned for me to go ahead, a teasing look on his face.

"Considering that this is a dangerous area, I don't think that applies right now, but if it makes you feel better." I dropped to my butt and slide down the path, making sure that I didn't go too fast. It was possible to walk down it as the trio before us did, but I was feeling special.

"So where should we slot you, Demon-nin?" Seigfreid nudged me with his elbow, the tip of his sword sticking into the ground.

"I'm sorry?"

"Where should we slot you? A full ninja who only strikes at opportune moments, a trickster who grabs opponents attentions and never gets hit? What's your play style."

I filed away his terminology, figuring it might be useful later on. "Opportune striker, though once I figure out what monsters are in here I might be able to be a 'trickster' like you put it."

"Got it. You heard the scary psycho, Jun. Use that spear of yours to pin whatever we find." The boy cackled and hefted his blade, holding it single handedly as it it were nothing more than a wooden oar.

"It's called a fauchard, Seigfreid." The noiret sighed and pinched his nose, resting his weapon at the nape of his neck just like his brother.

"Look, it's a long metal weapon with a piece of metal on the end that can stab. I'm calling it a spear." The blonde narrow his eyes, grinning foothill.

YunYun stared at the other for a moment. "Then I'm calling that sword of yours overcompensation."

"You leave Balmung alone!" The younger of the two reared back, holding his large sword to his face protectively.

I leaned over towards the armored man. "They certain are lively."

"It is my wish that they stay that way."

I blinked at the gravelly voice. It had an air of experience to it that seemed fitting for the figure he cut. "I know what you mean. This should never have happened, especially to kids their age." I extended a hand. "My name's Asasaki by the way."

"Kinboshi. It's nice to meet you." He grabbed my hand and shook firmly. "Forgive them for any offenses. They mean nothing by it."

"None taken. My companions jokingly refer to me as a ninja, but it's strange to have 'Demon' tacked onto it."

The armored man nodded. "When people here at the front speak of you, it is often with fear. But please do not let it affect you. What you did back there was admirable. I stopped by «Town of Beginnings». There are children there that look to you as a hero, alongside the one named Kirito and his red haired companion. Tales will be written of you three."

I gave a hum acknowledgement. Kinboshi was giving off an incredible grandfatherly feel, the kind that people in their 60's and above gave when talking about the current generation.

The sound of boots skidding on dirt reached my ears. "Let's take this nice and slow." Agil pushed himself off the ground, having taken the same method of travel as me. "Vector, make sure you write down anything we figure out about the monsters here. Let me know if you run out of room."

"That's a thing?" I looked between the two axe users, trying to piece together what they were referring to.

"The «Notes» function can only hold so many things. It's a common tactic among people exploring. Does your group not do that?" Agil raised a questioning brow, concern entering his voice.

I shook my head. "One of our members picked up a skill called «Scan»." I mimicked the required action needed to use the ability. "The more pictures he takes of something, the more information gets recorded into his bestiary. It has a list of monster levels, stats, equipment, sword skills, and how to force critical hits or openings. Of course, we have to help him line the shots up in the first place, but at least we have a way to record stuff on the god."

Agil scratched his chin. "Huh. Might have to look into that. "

"Oh right! Before we go any farther, Kirito wanted me to give you this." I traded over the «Mighty Straps of Leather». "He said it's a little revealing, so it's up to you to decide whether worthwhile or not."

"This stuff gives a pretty decent strength boost. A little low in defense and health though." Agil stared at his screen for several seconds, looking up every few steps to make sure he wouldn't trip over something before tapping a button.

I stopped and doubled over coughing when the light show faded away. "That should in no way be called armor," I managed, staring in pained disbelief.

"Revealing is one word for this." Agil grimaced, looking himself over. The leggings were thankfully worthwhile of the term, seeming much like the waist and groin portions of my own leather tassels that went over my clothing. The chest piece on the other hand was nothing more than a few strips of leather arranged in what could be called a chest brace, a generous piece going across his pecs and covering his nipples.

I frowned, morbid curiosity getting the better of me. "I don't even want to know how that would look like if I wore it."

"Wore what?" Mr. Compensation looked over, double taking when he saw Agil. "On one hand, please wear that. On the other, I said nothing!"

I snorted. "Maybe if you're good enough I might try it on." I shook my head, trying to get used to Agil's new look.

The teen flushed and turned away. "Look, that was a joke. I'm not crazy enough to actually ask for that."

I smirked. "Let's keep going. I'm going to start getting antsy if we don't come across something soon. I don't like the feel of this place. Smells too much like a trap to me." The

"Really? I'm just smelling dirt and- wait I think I got something else." Seigfreid sniffed the air in a dog-like manner. "Nope, just dirt."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Come on, soldier. Do your job and keep your body between the mean monsters and the pretty lady."

"Aye aye, ma'am!" The kid ran back to the other two in front, his weapon held loosely in his right hand like a bat.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I batted away a pair of mandibles and took a few spinnings steps, inserting my curved blade into the neck of the ant-like creature. Around the size of a compact car, the «Seared Formicidae» were incredibly durable creatures capable of dealing heavy damage vice like jaws. Vector and Kinboshi had already suffered from the attacks a few times, needing to down potions whenever possibly to keep their health up. Movement from a tunnel up ahead caught my attention. "Two more, 10 o'clock!"

"Keep them busy while we deal with these guys!" Agil's yelled over the sound of ringing metal.

I grunted in response and used one of the ants as a step ladder, kicking off it and leaving the duo of YunYun and Seigfreid to handle their end. The two insects charged towards the atrium, their legs kicking up small clouds of dust in their wake. I was extremely grateful for my weapon's special properties; while I was sure I could have handled them without it, the ability to deal enhanced damage through my normal actions alone was a blessing.

I lept over the pincers of the first ant, turning midair and straddled its back. With a guttural challenge, I snapped my blade into its legs over and over, sending it to the floor with a «Stunned» effect. Heavy thuds alerted me to its companion, jaws wide open to clamp down. I rolled off the body of the first one and dove in, driving my sword between its head and the rest of the body.

The creature jolted back and flailed for a brief moment before shooting towards me. This I avoided by stepping to the side, slicing its flank when it passed. "You are all so annoying!" I met its charge and flitted over it, my weapon snaking out and scoring an angry line along its back. "Charge this, tackle that! It's like playing with a novice!" I whirled around slapped the jaw of the first ant away, plunging my sword into its eye. Another status effect appeared over its head, flicking away a few seconds later.

For another minute or two my dance continued, the ants uselessly trying to attack me with their mandibles. Klein and I had once talked about how odd it was that there were no ranged enemies so far, but chalked it up to being a balance nightmare since the ranged options players had were extremely limited.

"Geeze, Demon Nin. You're like a one man party." Siegfried laughed, resting his sword across his shoulders.

I let out a long breath and flicked my sword downwards. "These things are just simple. Once you figure out their attack patterns its easy to avoid their attacks."

"Hear that, Yun?" The blonde leaned in towards his elder brother, grinning. "Easy to avoid their attacks. Guess we better start throwing points into Dexterity."

"I told you to call me Jun. And that's her play style." The polearm user shook his head. "Not everybody can dance around attacks. Against larger monsters you still need somebody to keep enemies pinned down."

Siegfried huffed. "I was trying to make a joke."

YunYun deadpanned laughter, his face staring at his brother blankly.

"Stop flirting, you three. There's more stuff ahead." Vector waved us over, pulling out his double sided axe from the dematerializing corpse of an ant.

"Coming!" The two jogged off to join their companions without another word.

 _This feels like the time I chaperoned for my nephew's field trip._

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I plopped into the open seat beside Choryu. "What's on the table today?" I asked, switching into a more casual set of clothing. It was the start of a new week now. The three (technically four if you counted the Legend Braves) main groups that were at the true front lines had managed to find the tower and had entered a passive-aggressive competition to be the first to find the boss room.

"We're discussing whether or not we want to head back to the first floor to complete the quests or if we should join up with the other clearers." Klein looked up from an expanded map interface of the first floor, Dale's based on the cute fish border.

"According to Argo, we're one of the few groups that managed to pick up this quest line." Harry looked up from his copy of the second floor guide book; for the time being 'there were no books to kill time with, so the most recent guide would have to suffice'. "The start conditions are still unknown for it and after meeting that giant rock guardian nobody really wants to continue the line until they get stronger."

"Right. So while we might take a dip in experience gains, we might end up with a ton of loot and items you can't normally get. It's usually how quests like this go," Klein added.

I hummed and stretched my spine out, folding my hands behind me. "Honestly, I think between Agil's Group, Lind and Kibaou's group, and the Twin Stars, the boss fight should be in the bag."

"Twin Stars?" Issin asked.

"It's the nickname given to Kirito and Asuna by players that don't know he's the 'Filthy Beater' now that he's starting to incorporate some blue into his outfit instead of the usual black." I used a mocking tone for Kirito's more common label. "Apparently the two are pretty much inseparable outside of safe zones, though I'm sure if you say something about it you'll get nothing but protests."

"Huh. So back on topic, what do you think about the matter?"

I looked over to Klein. "I vote we head back down and finish up the quests. If we have time, we should try and stock back up on those petal fragments. I've grown really fond of them." It wasn't because I was scared of what would happen with somebody else died in near me. I just felt obligated to help out Mitsui and her people.

"Looks like we're out voted, Klein." Issin clasped hands with the curved blade user, pulling him into a hug. "Oh, woe is we! Overturned by our comrades, our dreams pushed to the wayside!"

"Don't be so overdramatic." Kunimitzz rolled his eyes, his face slightly deviating in what could optimistically be called a smile. "If it helps, consider completing the quests our own frontline. We'll be helping those who come after us figure out what's worthwhile."

"I'm only joking, Yuuta. No need to harp on me." Issin pulled away and waved his hand.

The raven haired polearm user narrowed his eyes, clearing his throat meaningfully.

"Ah, crap. Sorry about that. I don't suppose you two can forget what I said, right?" Issin turned to to me and Choryu, chuckling nervously.

"Don't worry about it." Choryu smiled gently.

I tilted my head. "You know, I don't think you ever explained to me why it's a faux pas to share that kind of information."

"Most people who plays online games do it for the escapism." Dale pulled back his map, resizing it before putting it away. "They want to try and separate it from reality."

"Hm." I had my own thoughts on the matter but it would be insensitive of me to voice them. Everybody had their reasons and personal limits after all. It would be cruel to assume one person had it better than another.

"Stock up on supplies. We'll head back to Urbus in two hours. Meet over by the northern entrance when you're ready."

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"Hey."

I looked up from the stall, realizing that Agil was approaching me. "Hey, yourself," I responded in english.

"You guys heading out to the Tower today?" Agil stepped into the shade, looking over the dried fruits.

"Nah. We're heading back to the First Floor," I explained, selecting a bag of fictional figs.

"Have fun traveling back through those woods if you're heading towards «Tolbana». I think it's pretty dumb that there isn't a warp gate in every major city."

"I'm sure there's a reason for it." I handed over a few more coins as tip, the NPC thanking me when I did so. "What about you guys? Joining in on the action?"

"Definitely. Though I might pull out after this floor. Don't get me wrong, I want to get out just like everybody else, but those two teams? Lind and Kibaou's? It's not fun working with them. We can hold our own since we're a tank squad, but those guys argue too much. I came here for fun man, not to deal with adolescent territorial disputes."

I shrugged. "Should look into checking monsters or doing quests. It might not directly help the efforts, but who knows. The information we get might make it easier for other people do equip themselves to a point where they can start helping." I led the way towards the central plaza of «Marome», unsure of which direction he would be going.

"Doesn't Argo already have all the quests listed though?"

"She does. But she doesn't have the complete info. Just starting locations and things you might need with the disclaimer that it's beta info. There's still so many undocumented changes we have yet to find."

"True, true. I'll leave you too it. Good luck back on the first floor. And try not to let the zombies back in the starting town get to you. They'll come around eventually."

"Happy hunting!" I called to his retreating form.

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I gave a sharp breath, quickly catching my footing. The portal from «Urbus» had put me out at the edge of the platform. If I hadn't been paying attention I would have fallen on my face from missing the first step.

"Whoa!" I caught Klein as he stumbled through, bracing his chest with my arms. "Shouldn't this be the other way around?" He joked, getting ready to catch the next person. Strangely, the portal reduced slightly after our passing, allowing the others enough space to walk out safely..

"Back in «Town of Beginnings», huh? It's actually kind of nostalgic." Issin looked around, doing his best to keep a smile in the face of ground zero of our imprisonment. "You know. Minus the fear after those first few hours."

"We'll be making a straight trip to «Tolbana» through the western forests." Klein quickly took off, trying not to focus too heavily on the slumped forms huddled in the shadows. "It might be best if we use the path through the outpost instead of going by «Horunka». Ever since the information on the «Anneal Blade» got released people have been crowding the place. We might get bogged down by people asking for help."

"Do you think those guardsmen are still there?" I asked, following his lead.

"Wouldn't be surprising," Harry responded by my side. "Remember Mitsui mentioned that the guards were there to investigate the area. With them being NPC's it's entirely possible that they're meant to stay there until we get back into the area."

"Choryu, Asasaki. Do you guys might taking care of anything that might aggro us?" Klein asked as we neared the north (and only) gate of «Town of Beginnings».

"Understood, Younger Brother," I cracked, noticing a group of people walking past us.

The trip out to the forest was a much calmer one than our first trip. Between our stats and our weapons, the dagger user and I were able to bring down the monsters in three hits or less depending on whether or not we were able to get a head or neck strike in. Catching up to the group was a simple matter of a short sprint that barely winded us.

"Was this always here?" I asked when we arrived at the path to the hamlet. There was a shimmer wall arranged in a circle between the two biggest trees, the edges appearing much like the script that bound the light of the teleport gates. "Nothing else should have changed, right?" I kicked at the ruts of wagon wheels that led in, wracking my brain to figure out if those were there before.

Harry took a moment before speaking. "For now, let's just attribute any changes to having an active quest. It shouldn't be much, but just in case, be on your guard."

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I knocked on the door to the apothecary, waiting a moment before entering. "Hello, Lady Hilde." I waved at the elder, walking over to the counter.

"Just Hilde is fine, young one. What brings you back here? I thought you would have continued your journey to the lands beyond." She moved up to the counter, her apron looking freshly stained from something.

"Lady Mitsui told us of some issues around the region. Our group decided we'd help out once we got enough experience fighting ." It was tempting to fully speak in gaming terms. Certain NPC's such as Hilde and Mitsui seemed fully aware of what was going on, but Harry speculated they just had a broad list of acceptable terms. For most NPC's, if you tried to go out of those bounds or didn't use specific phrasings that would be related to their area of specialization they would respond with some variation of 'I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about.'

"Ah, Lady Mitsui." The potion maker closed her eyes in reminiscence. "A wonderful girl, that one. Takes after her father quite nicely."

"Her father?" I felt ashamed for how difficult it was for me to accept that there was family members that we hadn't seen with these quest related NPC's.

"He was in charge of these lands until his passing forty years ago. She's the last in line for her family to care for the region. In all the time I've known her I don't think she's ever had a partner. Understandable though. We've been separated for so long, the region is essentially self-sufficient. At least this forest is. I'm sure given long enough the «Black Iron City» and «Tolbana» would eventually crumble. It's happened before you know, in lands far far away. A city falls to the monsters or itself, changing from what was once something you could have pride in into a hive of thieves and squalor." Hilde shook her head. "I'm sure you didn't come here to listen to an old lady ramble. How can I help you, lass?"

"Could you turn these into potions for me? Also, out of curiosity, how do you make yours taste so good? The potion makers over in «Tolbana» make theirs taste like somebody decided to liquify aloe vera and sell it as is."

The lady chuckled. "Trade secret, I'm afraid. But if you ever decide to dabble in the craft, try adding more than what's necessary." She disappeared behind the strips of leather that acted as a curtain for a few minutes, the sound of bubbling growing stronger. "There you go. Five health potions." She silently took the offered cor, noticing that I had picked an armful of potions she had resting on the far wall. "If you ever come across any herbs or plants that nobody can recognize, bring them to me. It's been awhile since these old bones got to work with exotic materials."

I nodded. "Until next time, then." In the corner of my eye, a single line of text appeared in my log stating #«Quest Log» updated.#

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I rapped my knuckles on the door frame once again, failing to keep the irritation off my face. Being the lowest level people in our group, Choryu and I had been in our own party to keep the minimal experience gains from the monsters we slayed between us. As a result, I couldn't enter the building used as the headquarters for the «Mitsui Outpost» currently registered as a place of player residence without being invited in. "Did you guys clean everything up?" I asked dryly when Issin's opened the doors.

"Sorry about that. One of the guards on break was briefing us on everything they learned. Looks like we get to do another escort mission for them as well. We'll need to take it on foot though. Two of the guards are going to stay here with the horses while the other four are going to come with us." Issin opened the door. Compared to the Mitsui Trading Guild headquarters back in «Tolbana» the room was surprising spartan. Not even carpets or pictures were set up.

"Has anything changed since we arrived?" I asked, following him through the wooden halls.

"The goblin forces around here have gone into hiding now that so many players are hanging around «Horunka»," he began. "They're much stronger than everything in the region, though with our stats we should be fine. The guards managed to pinpoint their position to an old tunnel network in the castle ruins northwest of here, fairly close to the mountains. They don't know much else though since it's too risky for them to go closer. Also, a lot of the flying monsters have pretty much disappeared; the guards are saying that's once again due to all the people religiously hunting monsters."

"When do we head out?" Hunting things to endangerment or even extinction wasn't an uncommon occurrence, though I was surprised that was something this game included.

"In the morning. For now Klein just wants us to continue hunting down the lilies and mandrakes for potions. They might not be as strong as the ones from «Urbus», but damn if they don't taste better."

"Trade secret from Hilde on how she does that, by the way." I pulled open my interface and handed him his share of the potions, grateful for the reminder. "She said something about experimenting with the recipes, more than the required amount. Also, if we come across any plant materials from the other floors we should bring them to her. It might be a drag to keep traveling down here, but she said she wouldn't mind making stronger potions for us. Apparently it's boring work just working with what they have on this floor."

"That's good to know." Issin pulled open the door to a large meeting room, allowing me to go in first.

"-we were rebuffed and had to turn back. They don't seem keen on letting us approach." The guard was abnormally formal with his speech. Not quite the archaic levels the Fūma nin exhibited, but enough that it felt out of place.

"Welcome back, Asasaki." Klein looked up from the charcoal drawn map spread across the table. "We were just going over our battle plan. The goblins seem to have set up camp on the path from here to «Tolbana»." He motioned at a collection of simple figurines placed on the plain south of the river that curved around the city. "We could just cross the river and head into the city from «Horunka», but we decided that it would be best if we stopped these things from completing whatever it is they're trying to do."

"And we appreciate your efforts, Swordsmen." One of the guards, his helmet resting on the table, brought his arm across his chest and gave a short bow.

"What have you guys come up with so far?" I moved between Kunimitzz and Dale, needing a moment to realize that the placement of the models was an approximation of their formation and not just a random scattering.

"Right now we're planning on using a lure method to slowly whittle away at their forces. Hopefully they don't get any reinforcements." Harry used a lengthy stick to break off a unit, pulling them towards a group of form shield bearers positioned at the northern entrance for the outpost.

I leaned in closer, noticing that there was a ring of quadrupeds around the goblins. "They have wolves?"

"Goblins riding wolves," the same guard corrected. "They were the reason we couldn't continue. When we neared a group of them chased after us until we got far enough away. Odd, considering that they normally chase after us with reckless abandon."

I frowned and motioned towards tour representations. "When we pull monsters wouldn't we get some of those mounted units along with us?"

"Yes." Harry folded his arms, a small frown on his face. "It's a risk we'll have to take. We'll get close enough to grab their range first before trying to pull the the foot soldiers."

I stared at the figurines, an incredibly stupid plan forming in my mind. "What if I went ahead and pulled them first?"

"Why good would that do? And why just yourself? Why not somebody else?" Choryu's gaze jolted up, meeting mine in confusion.

"If I can keep the wolves off you guys, you can work on just fighting through the infantry. You don't need to worry about anything else charging at you. As for why me," I looked over at one of the guards. "I was planning on using one of the horses to lead them around, if you're okay with that." One of the NPC's still wearing a helmet nodded their assent. "Plus, if I end up on foot I'm agile enough to evade attacks or even find myself a new mount." I grinned, pride welling up.

Klein sighed and massaged his head with a hand.. "I really don't agree with this." He looked up at me, But if you think it's a good idea, then I believe in you. Now then, for the rest of the day I'd like us to collect more materials…"

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I brought my hand over my eyes, shading myself from the bright unfiltered light coming from the unfiltered sky. Unlike the southern entrance, the northern end of the path that led to «Mitsui Outpost» didn't have a hazy barrier. Additionally, we were currently suffering from effects similar to that of a dungeon, unable to message anybody outside of our party.

When we broke through the tree line I urged my steed into a trot, hanging along the forest edge to scout out the enemy forces for myself. True to their words, the goblin forces were gathered around something in the center of the plain, piles of dirt scattered around as they dug into the earth with picks and shovels. "At least they're all normal sized," I muttered, bringing us to a stop. I met the gaze of the mounted goblins, grunting when I realized they had been visually following me ever since I show my face. I sighed and moved my scabbard from my waist to the saddle, its previous position being too awkward for when I would need to inevitably draw it.

"Time to bite the bullet," I grumbled, spurring the gorgeous brown stallion into a gallop. With my charge the mounted goblins drove into action, a pack of five breaking off from the encirclement to chase after me. Involuntarily my eyes widened by a fraction, the shock of seeing goblins riding wolves far too strange for me to handle. To my left my companions were just breaking through the forest line, their weapons drawn. "Come on then, friend. We have lives to protect." I grinned, excitement and anxiety coursing through me in equal parts as I veered off to the right, moving alongside the river.

A small number of riders shot off towards Klein and the others. As much as I wanted to grab their attention, I couldn't do so without exposing myself to the five already on me. "Please bear with me," I whispered to my steed, turning us around in a wide turn. I pulled my sword free from its leather holding, Without having the «Mounted Combat» skill, I was unable to use any of my system assisted abilities. That didn't mean I couldn't be my normal creative self.

"I asked for a horse and yet I'm about to abandon you in the first encounter. There is something wrong with me." I took a few calming breaths, slowing our pace and commanding my horse to follow after me when possible. With a huff I jumped up, moving my feet underneath me and balancing on the horse's back. It seemed to understand what I was doing and slowed down just a hair more.

"What counts as a god in this world, please favor me!" I leapt off the stallion, turning myself sideways and forcibly taking the place of the lead goblin. I grabbed hold of the wolf's mane, doing my best to get used to its rhythm.

I sliced at the goblin that rode past on me on my right, two separate strikes scoring my back for my efforts. "At least you're playing nice," I breathed, kicking my mount into action.

I swung my sword across my chest, twisting with the motion and cut the head off the closest creature, its body soon following the digitalization process. The goblins ahead realized that I was still a threat and brought their mounts around, baring their weapons.

I let a moment pass before kicking my mount forward once again, holding my weapon out to the side like the wing of an eagle. As I neared I swung forward, using the back of my sword to knock the goblin to the ground.

I brought us back around and took stock of the situation. The first goblin that I had attacked had remounted on one of the wolves, leading the group back around. Klein and the others were currently engaged in battle with a rather large contingent of goblins, appearing much like a large snail making its way through grass.

Every now and then I could see a flash of light emanating from their weapons, exploding shards of data firing into the air with each lightshow. I allowed myself a brief moment to smile before kicking the wolf back into action.

After a series of exchanges culminating in the death of the goblins and their mounts, I stabbed my sword through the wolf I had commandeered, landing in a crouch when it no longer tangible enough to hold me up.

The horse I had been loaned trotted up to me, appearing completely undamaged. "Thanks friend," I uttered, pulling myself back into its saddle. I took another look at the main congregation of goblins. They seemed to be moving into a retreat, the bulk of their forces running into the eastern forest while a few stayed back. Among them was a goblin that I hadn't noticed before; clad in a number of furs, the goblin was beefy giant, reminiscent of a certain beast. In its hand it held

"That's our target. You okay with going that close?" The horse snorted and shook its head, tapping excitedly. "I thought so. Remind me to give you a nice snack when we get back to «Tolbana»." I tapped my heels against the horse's side, gradually moving us back into a gallop.

I brought my sword to my side, quickly taking stock of everything in the way before focusing on the presumable leader. The giant turned towards me, its hidden eyes boring holes into me. Faster than I could react, its club smashed into the horse and me, launching us a small distance. Pain wasn't a thing in this world, I had to remind myself. The pervasive cold feeling lingered on the right side of my body like mud, clear distinct areas of injury making themselves known to me.

I let out an annoyed breath, quickly pulling out and downing a second floor potion which disappeared in a glitter of lights. Even with the promise of restored health bringing me back up from the yellow, it would still take time to fight without much fear.

I snorted when I replayed that thought. "Fighting without fear. You're actually a blessing." I stalked towards «Kurz, the Beast Tamer», forcing the canid howls out of my mind. "It's been so long since I actually had a challenge, I'd forgotten what it means to actually fight." I moved into loose stance. A wild grin formed on my face, heedless of the shivers going through my body.

 _I might actually die here._

A glance at my health bar revealed that the single blow was worse than I initially thought. At 70% your health but yellow and red at 30%. The single strike had dealt around 40% of my health. Combined with the damage I had taken earlier, I was sitting under 50%.

I chuckled. "All this for a place I don't even have allegiance to." I steeled myself, allowing the part of me that could keep calm and focused in stressful situations to take over. The towering goblin strode over to me, its weapon dragging along the ground.

 _Heavy. Fast moving. Single linear attacks. Dodge and counter._

I shot forward, trying to limit the options the creature could take. It stopped moving and twisted its body back, leaning into its sword arm.

 _Horizontal strike. Leap over._

I let out a breath as I vaulted over the swing, twirling in midair when I reached the apex of my jump to land in a forward roll. By myself and against a creature that could potentially kill me with its next hit, I dared not use any sword skills. Those tenths of a second that would allow me to deal massive amounts of damage would be a death sentence unless I found an opportune moment.

I hooked my weapon around its trunk of a leg, pulling myself around it and sending it stumbling forward. With a rumbling cry, it twisted its body once more, picking up its dropped weapon with the motion. I dashed between its legs with another strike to each of its legs, evading the plume of dirt that exploded at me previous position.

"You were supposed to be a-" I let out a gasp when its leg shot out, launching me through the air. Having been able to attack so many times without retaliation, the suddenness of the move stunned me in a way that the system never could. I found myself staring blankly at the incoming strike, unable to comprehend what was happening.

 _ **You complete and utter idiot!**_

I rolled to the side instinctively, turning my head away in anticipation of the earthen shrapnel.

 _Thanks for that._

 _ **Just stay alive.**_

I leapt onto the club, racing along the outstretched limb towards its owner. With a sharp exhale, I launched off its bicep and spun towards its head, carving a red line on the goblin's fur hood. When it flinched away I drove my blade into its neck before unleashing a falling «Lumbar Desecration» along its back. The creature took a lumbered forward, allowing me enough time to recover from the «Post Motion».

 _Halfway there._

"Shit!" I dove between its legs to evade the grasping hand, springing up with a haphazard 180 before leaping back. Feeling that I still had some time, I brought my sword across Kurz' left leg twice, running back a few feet in fear of another attack.

When none came, I ran back in and drove the tip of my sword into a lingering mark, tearing it out and moving it into a strike on the other leg. I hopped to the side when a fist came through, responding to the insult with a thrust at the meaty palm. "You're so slow," I grumbled.

My eyes widened when I felt something kick my legs out from underneath me, a sweep kick based on the fraction of a second I was able to take in as I recovered with a handspring. The beast's attack didn't stop there. Kurz' other hand snatched me up around my torso in a vice grip, tortuously squeezing the life out of me.

"Like hell you will!" I reared my arm back and snapped my sword into its wrist repeatedly, turning the muted red brighter with every strike.

When it released me on the fourth strike, I slipped between its legs and delivered a spinning strike to both of its legs, creating some distance when I recovered from the attack. The goblin slumped to the ground, a moment that lasted an eternity passing before it shattered. I didn't allow myself to relax however. Even if their leader had been defeated, the handful of goblins that were surrounding our duel seemed eager to exact revenge on their fallen commander.

Perhaps ten minutes later the battle finally ended, the remnants of the goblin horde running off with their weapons on the ground. I let out a groan and slid to the ground, moving into a variety of stretched,

 _Why can't my bones crack? That's like 80% of the reason why anybody should stretch._

When I opened my eyes I found a potion shoved into my face. "Haa?"

"You're in the red. Drink." I blinked and accepted the drink, surprised at the stern look the normally carefree Choryu was giving me. The dagger user refused to move until I finished the entire mix, giving a long sigh.

"What happened to being safe?" Harry calmly pushed his tower shield into the ground, glowering at me.

"Things got a little crazy." I swallowed hard. There was no gradient to the color of your health. It was either green, yellow, or red, regardless of whether you were exactly at the turning point or if you were less than 5% from death.

"Crazy's one way of putting it." Harry shook his head, stepping to the side to allow Klein to pass.

"Is this going to be a regular thing with you, Asasaki? Nearly dying while on your own?" Klein looked at me blandly, his eyes narrowed in concerned rage.

I looked away, sensing that there was something important I couldn't fully understand. "It's not like it's intentional. If there's something that needs to be done, I'll do it. Simple as that." I heard a sharp intake of breath. In the corner of my sight, Klein's hands clenched.

"You really are a piece of work, you know that?" The leader of Fūrinkazan stormed off, the rest of our group slowly trailing after him.

 _What did I do wrong?_

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 _Next chapter /should/ September 1st or 2nd._


	12. Interlude 1

_Holy mother of a bulldog, this chapter got beta'd! My friend wishes to be identified as Akorr, so you have them to thank for helping me scream at myself for however long it's been since I was supposed to upload this on Saturday. (Hint, it's Wednesday morning). The first scene for these side stories got rewritten like five or six times because we both agreed it just wasn't right. I ended up going "Screw it. It's been way too long. The next iteration is going to be the last one."_

 _There won't be an update this week. Instead, I'm going to be focusing on going through the previous chapters and doing that whole editing/note taking thing that I mentioned in the previous chapter. Please enjoy these omakes!_

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I tugged her along, leading her towards the northern gate. "Come on, we're going to be late!" It was the end of the first week since we had been trapped in this world. For those that had broken down, unable to find any joy in life, there were two options. You either huddled up somewhere and wallowed in your thoughts or you threw yourself off the southern overlooks.

"Calm down, it's not like our spot's going anywhere." My companion increased her pace, moving in time with my own movement to reduce the amount of jostling she was receiving.

I cackled. "But every day more and more people are waking up! There's going to be competition soon, and I don't want to have to fight for our hunting grounds!" At the start of the first day we had found a gorgeous piece of land. Relatively flat at the top with a gentle slope, the area was a significant distance from the roads and trees where wolves and wasps would spawn. As far as safety went, there was no better place to get used to combat.

Dawn let out a groan that turned into a laugh. "Keep up then, if you're so excited!" She taunted, breaking into a run.

It was amazing how she kept her spirits up. The hours after Kayaba's announcement were grim. In spite of the shock that had settled over the masses, my blonde friend had pulled us back out into the fields, guiding me through all the steps necessary for fighting and survival that she knew. The day after when she had helped back into town, she'd toss me out of bed with an evil grin on her face and keep pestering me until I joined her on a morning run.

We'd circle the entirety of the «Town of Beginnings» before stretching on the platform in the center of town. As the days passed people would slowly join us, the American leading us in a series of stretches and exercises. When a group of older folk joined us at the beginning she freely let them take over the first day for a set of exercises appropriate for their age. After seeing it the one time she smoothly transitioned into the set when they joined us the next day.

"What are we doing today, Captain?" I joked, knowing she hated being called anything other than the rank she had left with..

"This again? Doesn't it get tiring hearing me tell you off day after day?" She gave me a sideways look, moving away slightly.

"Hearing your voice after years of only reading it? Never." I wasn't ashamed to admit I had a bit of a crush on her. It wasn't just her being a foreigner. She was younger than me by a year and she's already done so much more.I was jealous of her, but she never bragged about it or lorded it over me; anyone really. It was always these stories she'd tell from a different perspective. Like listening to somebody read you a story back when you were a child. When she got into those moods, her voice would just draw you in, painting a vibrant story that felt as if you were right there.

"You know, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you had a thing for me," she sung.

I laughed. "What can I say? You're an incredible person." The days she had been staying with me I found myself desperately wishing that I had done more in school. My job as a florist was good paying, but it wouldn't be enough to sufficiently provide for a family without having to sacrifice things. I couldn't in good conscious ask for Dawn's hand, even for a date.

She left out a huff of air. "Let's try fighting three at a time today. You did good work yesterday, so now I want to see how you can handle one more."

I let out an over dramatic groan. "Do I get to fight them in waves this time?" She knew full well that I was more than happy to oblige whatever method of teaching she wanted to use. The joker manner in which we conversed helped keep our spirits up. Better than the dark humor she used the second day or while commented on world events.

"If you can clear them fast enough," she allowed. "Call out if you need help, alright?"

"Of course." Dawn had only needed to rescue me twice in all the time we've been out here. The first time a «Frenzy Boar» had been lured over from somewhere by a group of fleeing people. Dawn and I had managed to take care of it on our own through her patented bull fighting method. The second time I'd grabbed the attention of far too many boars. We had to end the day earlier after that. I'd done so much running to avoid being attacked that I ended up collapsed due to fatigue; yet another reason why she was so adamant on making me join her on her morning runs.

When we reached our spot we immediately sat down. With monsters only spawning when you were in proximity with them, we needed to wait several minutes for enough creatures to spawn for the day's exercise. "Are you going to try and upgrade any of your other equipment?" I asked. My own sword had been upgraded yesterday as part of an introductory quest line we had taken. Alongside the upgrade, I used some of the tusks I had acquired to make a new sheath for my weapon; this one engraved with lines crossing along its faces.

"Maybe," She drawled out. "I don't mind the fuzzy boots, but if the rest of my armor ends up looking like I'm cosplaying an animal I don't think I could handle that."

I chuckled. "I'm sure you could pull it off. You have the body type to do just about whatever kind of costume you want."

"Why couldn't you have been an artist?" She complained. "You could have conceptualized all these things for me and we could have gone into fashion together."

"I am an artist," I argued. "I'm a painter of the botanical kind."

"Then where's your exhibit?" she deadpanned.

"I'll get one! Eventually," I conceded. As I was now, I was only known in my local area. It was my hope that one day I would become renowned enough to work or a hotel or event. As it was, my best best seemed to have been joining up with a larger company. "

"Looks like enough have spawned. Remember to space your kills out, alright? I need you to build up your stamina if you're going to keep up with me." Dawn got to her feet and pulled out her sword. Unlike the movies, the weapon came out with a muted sound, not the expected metallic ring.

"Why do I hang around you again?" I questioned.

"Because you invited me to stay over at your place while I visited Japan, and we also haven't seen each other in years. Also, I keep you from being a lazy slob." Dawn broke into a run, swiftly stabbing three boars in quick succession.

"It's not a mess, it's organized chaos!" I refuted, throwing myself into combat. The basics were drilled into my head. How to slice, how to stab, the basics of blocking, how to read your opponent. If you treated your weapon as an extension of yourself, it was a lot easier to pull off maneuvers because you were thinking of your weapon as part of your body and not something extra.

As all times, I lost myself in the motions of attacking and counterattacking. Dawn called it active meditation; something simple enough you could perform it without fully paying attention. With the boars, I could either step to the side to avoid their charge or use my sword to catch them by the tusks and reposition them to block an area of attack.

Doing that wasn't the best choice though; blocking an attack with another attack or my sword would just give me damage in exchange. The only safe way to deflect attacks was to use my own to forcibly change the momentum of whatever came my way.

In relative silence the hours passed. Where I needed to take a break every four or five runs, Dawn could easily go a whole hour without stopping, constantly moving around to take a new monster into her fold.

"Last pull before break alright, Satoru?" She called out.

I yelled back my understanding. I took a knee and held my weapon out to the side, bracing my sword with both hands and letting the creature cut itself for me.

With its companions gone, I latched onto the last of the boars as it ran past me, shoving my sword through its jaw. I was completely squeamish the first time Dawn taught me how to do this. It was a gruesome thing whose only blessing was that it was a bloodless one hit kill.

"All done!" I yelled, keeping my sword by my side. My companion cut though the last two of her opponents, bouncing to her next target fluidly.

"Nice work. Really nice job on that last strike," she complimented. She flicked her sword out to the sid, wiping it on the length of white cloth she kept tied to her belt. "It was a lot smoother than the last time you went for that move."

"The last time I did that was my first time," I said, appreciating the comment for what it was. When she had first shown me the move, my attempt had resulted me in overshooting the boar and landing flat on my face. Since then I had gone through the motions on my own, determined to make my next attempt something I could be proud of.

"I'm complimenting you. Shut up and accept it, okay?" She plopped down next to me and materialized a small picnic basket full of food. We had filled it up earlier with smoked meats, fruits, and bread loaves.

"Yes, ma'am," I chuckled, sitting on the other side of the basket. "What do you think they're giving us for food?" I asked. "Back in the real world, I mean."

"For those that have been brought to a hospital, intravenous drips. For those that haven't been transported yet but still have people around, I'd say liquified foods and massaged down their throats." Dawn fell silent for a moment before looking at the sky, resting the sack of jerky in her lap. "Do you think we've been moved yet?"

"Maybe. I'd like to think so, I'm pretty friendly with my neighbors, so I'm sure they've checked in on us by now." Come morning, there was around seven of us that left our complex around the same time. We had reached the point where we'd rideshare with each other to train station for where we needed to go. We also had monthly karaoke nights and small barbecues on the roof of the complex. "Ah, crap. It was my turn to bring the drinks this month." I brought my hand to my forehead, explaining my issue to Dawn.

"I'm sure they'll understand." She smiled, silent laughter spreading across her face. "Will they keep onto your stuff? It's not exactly like you can keep up the payments at this point." She grimaced. "We're going to have to buy a bunch of new clothes once we get out, won't we?"

"Undoubtedly. At the very least, my neighbors might hold onto my things. I wouldn't mind losing my apartment so long as all my books and photos are kept somewhere." I bit into my makeshift sandwich, the slices of bread having been made by tearing apart chunks from the loaf.

Dawn groaned. "I wonder how they'll handle my visa. I was only here on a visitor's pass. Do you think the government will make an exception for me? Maybe grant me clemency until I recover?"

I shrugged. "They should. I'm sure you're not the only foreigner who managed to get into this game. Probably. Maybe." I scrunched up my face. "Now I want to know the statistic of how many foreigners got in here. The ratio of kids vs adults would be interesting as well."

"Careful, Satoru," she warned. "You're starting to nerd out on me."

"Like you aren't able to follow me!" I laughed, well aware that she had taken a stats class back in high school.

"I don't get off on that sort of thing like you do." She raised a brow and lobbed a piece of jerky at me, one I moved to catch with my mouth. "We should get back to it," she said, putting the remnants of our meal away.

"Has it really been ten minutes?" I chased my meal down with a swig of water, wrapping the rest of the fruits I was snacking on back up.

"Fifteen, actually. I thought the conversation was important enough." Dawn held the hamper out for me, dismissing it back to the interface bar when I put away the bundle of food. "Stretch out a bit before you get back to it. I'll go fetch some boars. Be back in a bit!" She gave a two finger salute before running off.

I rocked onto my feet. It was only around noontime at most. The work wasn't as tiring as I expected; hours upon hours of fighting. Whether it was due to levels, mindsets, or something else, we weren't sure. Dawn guessed that it had to do with your mindset. If you were used to exercising, you could go for longer periods than somebody else who didn't.

Doing as my friend suggested, I eased myself back into the groove of fighting, slowing down at points to continue refining my steps. When Dawn returned, it was with a group of eight boars chasing after her. It seemed a little excessive, but with how graceful she was it was unsurprising she managed it.

"Hurry up and pull yours! I can't strike back with this many!" She yelled, hopping to the side to avoid two boars that charged one after another.

I ran over and slashed at four of them, herding them away so that we could have more room to work with. Dawn was skilled enough to grab new ones on the fly, but I needed to kill off all my boars before I even thought about trying to safely start the process back up.

For the next few hours, everything progressed smoothly. The boars were all behaving nicely, all my attacks were landing as they should; complete smooth sailing. It was around the fourth hour that our training was interrupted. A group of four cloaked figures dashed through our boars, vaulting over the creatures in the same manner that Dawn did when she became bored.

"Wha-" I leapt out of the way when a large boar barreled towards me, its eyes an angry red. A hasty look revealed that each of the individuals that ran past us had been chased by their own «Frenzy Boar», the monsters deciding to change targets to something easier.

Whether cognitive of it or not, Dawn had pulled two of the monsters, leaving me with the other half on top of the two «Plains Boars» that I had yet to defeat. I let out a breathless laugh, recalling the last time I had dealt with a «Frenzy Boar».

"Okay, I can do this. Dawn's doing this, so I can do this too." I took a deep breath, stepping to the side when the other boar charged towards me. My arm shot out, scoring a thin red line along it's body. "You're not too hard," I uttered, wincing at the insignificant damage the attack dealt. Where the same strike might deal 12% on a «Plains Boar», my attack only seemed to deal 6% on the «Frenzy Boar».

My next line had to be aborted when I noticed that the other boars were charging at me in quick succession. While this was going on I noticed that the «Frenzy Boars» seemed to be nearly twice as fast as their weaker brethren.

"That's just not fair," I breathed, trying to adapt to the tempo they were setting.

 _So far so good._

Unable to properly swing my weapon, the few strikes I was able to deal were far weaker than they should be. In a battle of attrition, my victory was secured though. So long as I kept track of everything around me I'd be fine.

"One of you needs to go," I taunted, moving with one of the «Frenzy Boars». As the creature passed to the side of me, I kicked off the ground, grabbing hold of its neck with my right arm and bringing the tip of my sword into it's jaw. The creature squealed and shattered into data. A feeling of joy washed over me. "Dawn, I did it!" I stood and raised my arms, hoping that my companion had seen the feat.

Blue turned to green. Green turned to blue. An involuntary breath escaped my lips.

 _What was-_

The cycle of changing colors repeated once more. Furred legs trampled out of sight, their owners squealing their triumph.

 _Oh._

I lurched forward, a lack of sensation blossoming throughout my chest.

 _Is that…?_

I gingerly grasped the white ivory that protruded from my stomach.

 _It doesn't hurt._

My head slowly moved up. The whirling dance of Dawn and her boars was moving closer. The blonde twirled out of the way, her sword arcing down like a conductor's baton, shattering the beast that was transporting me.

"Satoru!"

An eerie numbness began spread to the rest of my body as I fell to the ground, no longer supported by the tusks of the boar. The sound of breaking glass echoed around the field. I pushed myself into a sitting position, taking in the view of Dawn frantically doing her best to end all the creatures in a single strike.

"Just stay safe, I'm almost done!"

A sad smile found its way onto my face. A «Frenzy Boar» that Dawn dodged ran past me.

 _I can still move, right?_

I tried to throw myself to the side, but nothing came. I looked down at my arms, realizing that my entire body was trembling.

 _Am I in shock?_

"We're all clear!" Dawn looked up from the last boar, her elated face fading to panic.

 _I just wish…_

I closed my eyes and gave her a gentle smile, refusing to acknowledge the trampling beast behind me.

 _I could have gotten one date._

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

Klein: Hey

Klein: :)

Kirito: Hey.

Klein: How's things on your end?

Kirito: Annoying. Once we finished our grind for the day Asuna dragged me back to Urbus to carry supplies for her Tailoring skill.

Kirito: Why does one person need forty units of cloth?

Kirito: I get the desire for grinding, but what's she going to do with everything she makes?

Klein: Sell it, probably.

Klein: That or put on a fashion show.

Klein: Better watch out, Kirito! You might end as one of her models!

Klein: XD

Kirito: Yeah right! Like I'd let her parade me around.

Klein: Dude, have you seen the way you act around her?

Klein: She has you wrapped around her finger.

Klein: Kirito, what's that? Kirito, can you get me this? Kirito, can you bring me here?

Klein: Is there something going on that you want to tell me about?

Klein: :3

Kirito: It's not what you're thinking. She's just really dependant on me, I guess.

Kirito: Asasaki nearly killed her when we first met, and I ended up being the good guy to her bad.

Klein: Woah woah what?! Asasaki almost killed her!?

Kirito: Not what you're thinking!

Kirito: Asuna was in a bad spot when we first met her.

Kirito: Asasaki seemed really invested in trying to help her out, but she went overboard.

Kirito: I ended up having to be her foil. I'm pretty sure Asuna latched onto me as her savior or something.

Kirito: It's honestly pretty weird. I feel like I'm a teacher instead of a 14 year old.

Klein: Just be glad you have a girl willing to hang out with you.

Klein: Cherish it while you can.

Kirito: What about Asasaki? Is there anything going on between you two?

Klein: Us? We're just friends.

Klein: Plus, she has a lot of baggage she needs to work through.

Klein: I mean I'm totally willing to help her out, but you can only do so much if somebody isn't willing.

Kirito: I'm going to head off now. I'm going to need a head start on tomorrow. That boulder's really annoying.

Klein: Good luck. Both of you.

Klein: Make sure you destroy your rock first, alright!

Klein: If not for yourself, than for me.

Klein: I want something to lord over Asasaki.

Kirito: I'll do what I can.

Kirito: See you.

Klein: Take care.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I patted the ground next to me, giving a grin as the short blonde walked over. "Enjoyed the meal?" I asked, enjoying the liberal usage of English while I could.

"It was good. Better than most NPC stores I've been to." The woman sat next to me in seiza, quietly moving her legs out to the side after a moment.

"It's all thanks to Kinboshi. I swear that man's a homemaker back in real life." I lowered my right leg, bracing myself up to turn slightly towards her. "How's the game been treating you so far?"

"Aside from the city wide aneurysm that first day and seeing two deaths while going through just as many near death experiences, not that bad. My base abilities are still the same as how they used to be in the real world, but now they're a lot more…" Her head lolled around slowly as she searched for the right word. "Theatrical, than I'm used to."

I barked. "I know what you mean. Back in the real world, I'm used to lugging around heavy crates and kegs. But in here, I can swing around a two handed axe without having to worry about pulling anything. Could you imagine if that was actually implemented in this game?"

"There'd probably have to be a tutorial quest on how to use weapons properly." She snorted. "That'd give the argument that games lead to violence a lot of ammo, wouldn't it?"

"Ah, damn. I didn't think of it like that." I leaned back, listening to the sound of the crackling torches. "Asasaki, you're a smart lady, so I'm not going to beat around the bush. Do you have PTSD?"It was a huge gamble bringing it up like this. In most cases, forcing the answer out of such a sensitive topic would only lead to problems. But between my own observations on the girl and everything that Klein had told me, she seemed far to adjusted to normal life to not be aware of her problems.

She let out a long breath, tucking a leg into her chest. "What gave it away?"

"The 'civilian' remark back on the first floor, mostly. I don't know what you've been through, but there's people around you who are more than willing to listen." I squirmed a little before sighing. "I know this might sound shallow, but I'm available if you ever need somebody to talk to. I was an army journalist stationed over in the Middle East. I've seen a lot, even if I didn't always publish it." I chuckled mirthlessly.

"I bet I took the wind out of your sails when I apologized about that earlier, didn't I." She remarked, an amused look on her face.

"Damn right you did. I had a whole speech prepared! I was gonna tear into you before trying to do a really emotional connection." I nudged her shoulder with my forearm. "This works out just as well though." We sat in peaceful silence for a moment, staring out at the dark cavern ahead. "Do you know what you need to look out for?"

"Violent deaths, mostly. Oh, and loud noises that resemble explosions whenever I'm in a building. My squad died on me while we were clearing out a building."

I stared at her. It was incredibly disconcerting how casual she was about the matter.

"Heh. You should close your mouth. Might swallow an ant or two." She stood and stretched, a neurose smile on her face. "The event was a couple months ago. Maybe at the start of the year? Close to the end of last?" She shook her head. "It wasn't my first dance with death. Back when I was still a Specialist my squad commander died in my arms while we were getting out of hot zone." She slowly looked up at the ceiling.

"Do you know how much it sucked to tell your commander that it was alright for them to go to sleep?" She scoffed and looked away. "Even worse, he thanked me. Like I was the one that saved his life and brought him to safety." She let out a breathless gasp, her left hand clenched in a death grip. "Must have been nice, having my face the last thing he ever saw."

I stayed sitting, making a sound from the back of my throat to let her know I was still here.

She sniffed, rubbing at her eyes with a finger. "Fuck, I thought I was over this crap. I should have been over this crap." She plopped to the ground, sliding onto her back. "Five months since I last cried about this. I didn't choke up talking about it, didn't think I was in a war zone, didn't panic when I heard the sound of fireworks going off." Asasaki sighed and folded her arms behind her head. "Just dreams and conversations with myself at night." She turned to look at me. "What about you? You have any problems?"

"Not anymore," I admitted, deciding to break standard rules about the internet. "See, I have a wife back in the real world. We run a cafe together. She's been helping me stay sane. Plus, having a journal to write in helps."

"You have a diary?" She asked teasingly.

"Damn right I have a diary!" I grinned, deciding to play it up as much as possible. "I tell him all about the heart throbbingly cute boys that come in."

She burst into laughter clutching her stomach. "Oh god, please tell me you're joking."

"Only partially. I write about the girls, too." I sat up properly, motioning with my hands. "See, I copy the parts of my journal that talks about all my customers out to a different notebook. You know those stories about some bartenders who know exactly what you get depending on your mood and exactly how you want it? That's partially what that's journal's for. Once somebody orders something five times in a row, I offer them the sixth for free. If they don't say something against it, I consider it a success."

"And how often does that work out?"

"I was batting 700 or so. Sometimes people were just hard to read on their sixth time. The 'Dicey Cafe' served all kinds of folk, y'know? Kids looking for an afterschool snack, office workers, the works. We never really had super busy hours though. We have business fairly often, but we only ever got filled to capacity a few times. We were actually thinking about trying to find a new building to use before I got trapped in here." As bittersweet as it was, it felt nice talking about the real world.

The blonde turned to look up at the ceiling. "Think you'll still have the place when we get out of here?"

"Oh undoubtedly. My wife's a strong one. She's knows how to take care of herself. Plus, if needed I'm sure she could just hire an extra hand. We usually had a part-timer for our happy hours when workers would get off the clock." For a brief moment on the first day, the thought had crossed my mind that when I get out I would no longer have a wife, but if I didn't hold onto that hope I'd lose my reason to push through this world.

"Must be nice, knowing you can easily return to something." Asasaki closed her eyes, seeming ready to fall asleep.

"What about you?" I asked, curious about her own life. "Anything to look forward to when you get out of here?"

"Family, mostly. I'm probably going to head back to the states once I get rehabilitated." She lifted her legs up, referencing the physical therapy we'd all have to go through. "Hey, do you really think Kayaba has us /all/ covered? There's ten thousand of us, surely we're not all getting free health care."

I leaned back, having never thought of it before. "I'm sure they're going to work something out. It's not like the government's going to gouge us all. This isn't exactly our fault, and Kayaba's probably got his thumbs in a lot of pies. He might be a sociopath, but I don't think he's an ass."

"Forgive me if I don't agree with that statement." Asasaki stood and gazed out at what lay past the barrier. "Agil? Thanks for this. It's nice being able to talk to somebody that isn't myself." The woman gave a genuine smile, one that was inherently different from the ones she usually sported when we were travelling.

"Don't worry about it." I returned a grin of my own, glad that I was able to connect with her.

* * *

 _Next chapter should be out September 15-16th._


	13. Future Harvest

_If I say that there was a double experience event over the weekend for one of the games I play, would you forgive me for being... almost five days late on my update? No? Yeah, I thought not... ^-^'_

* * *

I slowly swallowed a mouthful of my tea, debating whether or not the glacé aroma was something I should look into getting used to. "Where do you get these leaves?" I asked, inhaling the muted sweetness.

"It's a special plant that only grows in the swamp lands," Mitsui started, taking a slow pull before refilling her cup. "There's been some difficulty collecting them the past few weeks. Another side effect of those goblins going where they shouldn't." The heiress let out a long sigh, placing her cup back into its accompanying plate with a clack. "I appreciate everything your group is doing for us, Lady Asasaki."

"Don't worry about it," I said. "If what you said before is correct, we have powers and abilities that haven't been seen in ages. As such, we have an obligation to help out." Unfortunately, the majority of people would likely never be able to bring themselves to care about the citizens of this world. As rare as it was to come across one that acted 'human', it felt wrong to ignore the plight of the NPC's.

MItsui gave a thankful smile. "We're going to be sending a small group of guards to go explore the fields across the river." She moved a handful of armored figures over to the plains we had recently crossed. "Now that the threat there's been neutralized, we'll be able to have our scholars take a look at whatever it is they were trying to dig up." The redhead, natural according to her words, picked up a blocky carving of a horse and placed it on the region marking the east swamp. "I know there's still the mines on the northern side of the mountains that need to be clear out, but do you think your group would object to heading out to the swamps first? Aside from making sure there are no goblins in the region, there's the issue of all the abnormal creatures that have been popping up."

I took another sip, letting the sweet liquid rest in my mouth a few seconds before swallowing. "I'll see what I can do. Tensions are kind of high right now, but I'm sure the others wouldn't mind heading out there."

"I heard a little about what happened. Do you want to talk about it?" The woman leaned back in her seat, gazing at me curiously.

"I don't really know what there is to talk about." A blatant lie. Even if I personally felt there was nothing noteworthy about the incident, that didn't mean Klein or the others were unaffected. "We made a plan for me to to go on ahead and take care of the mounted units. I did my job and then when I was looking over the situation I noticed that their leader was still in the area. Naturally, I took it upon myself to dispatch him while the others were busy with the fodder."

"All by yourself?" The look Mitsui gave me was a mix of admiration and disapproval. "That sounds like it was quite the risk."

I shrugged. "It needed to be done. Besides, everything turned out fine." I met her gaze, refusing to display anything that might resemble remorse.

She hummed ambiguously. "It sounds to me that you're more experienced than most in the ways of fighting. I've seen that sort of behavior before. In the guards the end up helping out with the Explorer force when they're short on hands; nearly all the Explorers go through it." Mitsui shifted, her body shifting into what could be read as a defensive posture. "I hate it when that happens. They leave the city as men but when they come back, it's scarred and broken."

I fought to prevent my lip from twitching, instead focusing on her word choice. "You call them guards. Why is that? From what you've said of them, they seem more like soldiers than simple guards."

She shook her head. "Soldier implies that we need to protect the interests of the state. It's been so long since we last had contact with another region, our forefathers decided that it would be best if we disbanded our army."

Mitsui looked at the ornamental weapons resting along the northern wall. "It's true we put them through training to keep the peace and how to use their equipment, but only a few people who ask for it are trained to the level that would very expected from a proper military force. Namely men like the ones that escort cargo."

"Where are all the guards stationed?" I asked, internally bemoaning my failure to take note of all the proper institutions around the city.

"In the southeast and northwest corners. They were set up that way so citizens wouldn't have to go too far to report anything. Not that things occur that often, but there are still incidents from time to time that require outside assistance."

"So they're more of a police force than anything," I stated, looking over the placement of models on the map.

"Yes, that would be a fair assessment." After a moment of silence, the redhead motioned towards the sheathed weapon resting on the couch beside me. "That doesn't look anything from our region. Where did you get it?"

"I found it in a cave near a town called «Urbus»." I waited to see if she had a reaction to the name. "It handles nicely," I continued, deigning to let her explain her shocked response on her own time. "The weight is closer to the tip, but because of that it handles like an axe more than a sword, but it can still cut throughout the entire length." I leaned forward and rested a finger on the map, tracing the border. "Quite useful really. Some of the monsters there have thick skins that can't be damaged through easily."

"Sounds like the people there have adapted to their region." A look of longing settled onto her face, the woman staring at the map in silence.

"Lady Mitsui." It felt taboo to bring this up; a secret I was privy to but had no right to discuss. "You've mentioned that you lost contact with others. How long ago was this?"

"Generations ago," she admitted, resting her cheek on a hand. "Our records indicate that we were once part of a much larger kingdom on a massive span of land called a continent. It was so large, it took more than a month to traverse on foot. But at some point, in the middle of the night, a wall of light burst skyward around the region, and the lands around Tolbana and the Black Iron City were transported into the sky. The majority of people these days aren't aware that this isn't normal. They're satisfied with this life, trapped within this valley and staying within their birthplace."

She sighed heavily. "It's so sad. For over a hundred years our way of living has barely changed. Little more than the gears in a clock. We might get an adjustment every so often, but for the most part we're left to our own devices." Mitsui placed her cup down and started fiddling with the statues placed around the map. "I'm jealous of you, Lady Asasaki. As one of the fabled Swordsmen, you've been granted the privilege to explore the lands that were once connected." She smiled ruefully.

"And all that that entails," I added. "But what's stopping you from going through the tower? Now that we're here, I'm sure you could find somebody willing to escort you through the tower."

"Maybe one day. But right now I'm needed here. Perhaps when the goblin threat is neutralized I'll take you up on your offer." Mitsui held out her hand, motioning towards the empty cup on my right, smiling apologetically. "I hope I don't offend you when I say I have paperwork I need to get to."

"None taken. I know full well how important maintaining records are." I stood and gave her a hug. "I'll see you next time."

"Take care." The inheritor of her namesake corporation stepped through the door by her desk, allowing me a brief view into what looked like a kitchen.

"Why is today a lazy day?" I grumbled as I exited the building. The guard in the foyer saluted me as I passed with a crisp snap to attention. "Thank you for your work," I told him, giving a salute of my own. The man quietly returned to his previous position, offering no other signs of acknowledgment.

The skies were crystal clear on this morning of December 14. Not a cloud in sight, both on the horizon and the painted ceiling above us. While I talked with Mitsui and handled anything she tasked us to do, Klein and the others had headed into the eastern mines, stating that

Truth be told, I had my suspicions that it was an excuse to spend some more time apart from the day before. Klein still seemed to be disturbed by whatever he had realized, refusing to talk to me much aside from furtive looks and grunts in response to my questions.

"Bah. I might as well enjoy the day while I can." I sprinted across the street, easily scaling my way to the top of a two story building overlooking the majority of «Tolbana». From the roof top I could over the northern wall, all the way towards the forests that divided the Tower from the farmland.

"I wonder how those two are doing." During the trek up to the Mitsui headquarters I tried to send a message to Kirito and Asuna. With no limitations for trying to contact somebody between floors, I felt it safe to assume they were busy in the Tower on the second floor.

My gaze fell to the city below. It was surprising to me that the amount of activity seemed to have increased from when we had made the push that first month. Where the NPC's moved about with clear purpose, the players currently inhabiting «Tolbana» seemed more like tourists, taking their time and enjoying the sights. There were still people who were geared for combat, but they seemed much more relaxed than the fanatic testosterone filled children that followed Lind and Kibaou.

I leapt off the building, enjoying the few moments of free fall. Were this reality, my trip would have been nothing more than scant seconds of ecstasy before ending up as a void of nothingness.

Thankfully, this world operated under a different set of rules. So long as I was in a safe zone, the piece of coding that determined whether I had the right to live wasn't in effect. It didn't mean pain didn't exist, however. It was true that the pain that should have arrived after run through by a piece of steel would never come, but the initial sensation of something pressing against your body would be very prominent. So long as contact remained, the feeling of a warm hand or uncaring armor would let itself be known.

My train of thought ended as the ground rapidly approached. With both instincts and muscle memory guiding me, I tucked into a roll upon landing, taking a moment to regain my bearings.

The rooftops of «Tolbana» were arguably harder to navigate than in «Urbus». The majority of the streets were designed as two way paths for carts to travel through. Differences in elevations this far out meant that I had to take multi-story falls or climb my way up buildings depending on where I wanted to go.

Obviously, travelling by way of ground was the better option, but I wanted to let loose and enjoy myself. Heaven knew I'd have to confront Klein and the others about what was bothering them.

I padded over to the edge of the building, taking in the sight of the plaza. Similar to the one in the market square, this one had a lone but ancient tree resting in the center, its roots gently morphing the ground. To the north a modest chapel made from stone brick stood, a gaggle of teens resting on the steps leading up to it.

 _Looking at them like this makes me feel like an outsider._

I peered at the ground below me, making sure that the pathway was clear of any traffic before leaping down.

 _They look like they're just a bunch of regular kids. Like the concept of being trapped doesn't even apply to them._

I slowly made my way to the tree, resting against it so that the church took up my view. It was calming, being here. With the sound of birds chirping in the branches of the oak tree, it was becoming harder to keep my eyes open.

 _I'm sure the others will message or track me once they get out._

A yawn escaped my lips.

 _Maybe when I hit level 20 I'll pick up a support skill. Something I can do whenever I get bored._

I nestled into the tree, adjusting my body slightly to mold into the natural contours. "Today's such a lazy day," I whispered.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

A small hole in the foot traffic opened up around us, the people recognizing a reunion. I beamed and dropped my bag, holding my arms out wide.

"Auntie Dawn!" The bundle of joy leapt into my arms. Even though the girl was only a few inches shorter than me, that didn't stop me from swinging her around.

"It's so good to see you again, Rachel!" I set the seven year old down, holding her hand in my right while I picked my bags back up. "Look at you," I cooed, guiding her back towards her family. "You must have grown three inches since I last saw you. How have you been?" I raised my head to greet my sister and her husband, embracing them in a hug.

"My teeth are falling out!" She cried jubilantly, hopping to her father's side. The brunette grinned, poking her tongue through the space where her upper left canines should be.

"She's been so excited about finally growing up," Mark said, ruffling Rachel's hair.

"Just wait until she hits puberty. Won't be so excited then, will you little one?"

I chuckled at Eltanin's remark, hiding the laughter behind my hand. "How have things been with the family?" I asked, following their lead through the airport.

"Same old, same old," She responded. "Aunt Marissa's found yet another young stud to tote about, Uncle Stefan's managed to rope in yet another round of graduates into the business, not that anybody's complaining. And I think you'll be happy to know that all those flowers you planted back on the family manor are blossoming wonderfully." My sibling adjusted her glasses smugly. "I'm also continuing my reputation of maintaining my grades. I'm not getting A's as much now that I'm in the classes for my Major, but I'm happy with consistently getting B's."

I smiled and bumped my hip into hers, sending her stumbling to the side a few steps. Back in grade school she had been obsessed with maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She'd mellowed out since then, but she continued to rub it in my face whenever she scored better than me. "How about you, Mark? Anything interesting from work?"

Since his time in high school, Mark had been a junior firefighter. After his graduation he became a full hire and had been climbing up the ranks, becoming the captain of his station by his mid twenties. There was a lot of suspicions from the family regarding their relationships when they two first started dating, but it was obvious to anyone that the love between them was real.

"Nothing too special. Houses burn, people become distraught, said people are also grateful for the work my men do to save their loved ones and belongings." The 31 year old smiled and responded to something his daughter was pointing out. "I've been doing a lot of talks at the schools around the city on my job and how students can help out if they're interested. Most of the time they don't really pay attention, but some of them look at me like I'm a hero from a comic book." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Daddy, I need to go to the bathroom." Rachel tugged on her father's arm, pointing towards the sign.

"Do you mind waiting for her dear?" Eltanin hugged his arm, leaning into his shoulder. "I want to talk to my sister for a bit."

"Sure. Where do you want to meet up?"

"How about the Starbucks closer to the entrance?" My fellow blonde pointed towards the visible sign of a green and white two tailed siren.

"Okay. We'll meet you there." The two shared a quick kiss before Mark led his daughter over to the bathroom, patiently waiting outside the woman's restroom for her.

"She doesn't like being escorted inside anymore?" I asked, recalling the few times I had to go with her.

"She's 'a big girl now'. We'll still wait outside for her, and she knows to screams if anybody tries anything, but we felt we should respect her wishes." I always found it amazing how patient Eltanin was with her step-daughter. The first few years that they were a family were incredibly stressful for the two. I was lucky enough to bypass that struggle by introducing myself as Auntie.

I smiled gently. "I hope she doesn't become a problem when she grows up. You guys are doing really well with her."

She gave me a soft look of gratefulness. "You want anything?"

"Just a scone and some water, if it'd be no problem." I was fine with coffee, but it was far too expensive, more so at an airport, to get it out of the house even if people could prepare it in ways you normally wouldn't be able to.

"Warmed, right?" It was a habit of mine to get my baked goods at any cafes warmed when possible. It was always a pleasant surprise to have her double check my preference.

"Yes, please." I took a seat in one of the corners, the construction of the painted walls granting us limited privacy while still able to see through the upper glass portion to the rest of the airport.

"How are you holding?" She questioned, keeping an eye out for our order. "Emotionally and mentally, I mean."

I let out a long breath. "Honestly? Pretty annoyed. Part of me wishes I kept quiet and hid it from the doctors, but the other part of me knows how much trouble that could have caused if something set me off."

Eltanin laid her hand over mine, squeezing gently. "Sis. I want you to know that Mark and I are more than happy to put you up for a while. But if you end up staying more than a couple months, we'd like for you to help out with rent or something. It won't be much, but between my schooling, public transportation, and Rachel we'll be kind of strapped."

"I understand." I returned the gesture, glad that as standoffish my sister acted towards me sometimes she still made attempts to show her affection in whatever small manner possible. "I'll figure something out. If nothing else, I guess I could get a job at a McDonalds or something."

She reached over and cuffed my shoulder. "Shut up. You're far too good for a place like that. Now a Starbucks on the other hand, I wouldn't mind. Especially if you could try and get me in on your employee discount." Eltanin grinned devilishly, the light glinted off her eye.

"Fine, fine. I'll look into becoming a barista for you." The two of us broke into soft laughter, interrupted when her name was called.

"I love you, Dawn."

"I love you too, Sis."

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I arched my back, moaning quietly at the sensations before slumping back into the tree. Based on the shifted shadows I had slept around two hours. A blessed amount of time that was honestly undeserved. With a yawn I rolled onto my stomach, taking in the feeling the the sun and grass before jumping to my feet.

"Guess I'll explore the fields out north day." With no notifications for my inbox, I assumed that the others were still busy in the mines. That or trying to come to an consensus regarding my perceived slight.

"Hey, Lady! Are you busy?" I slowly turned my head to look at the brown haired teen, his appearance sparking a sense of recognition.

"Not particularly," I responded, continuing my stretches.

"Great! Would you mind helping us out with a quest?" The teen gave a valiant attempt at a personable smile. Unfortunately for him I had far too much experience in dealing with false expressions to possibly fall for

"Depends on what it is," I offered non-committedly.

"My friends and I are trying to better gear ourselves. We tried taking on the wolves in the «Forsaken Forest» but we only managed a few kills before we turned back." The child laughed with dramaticized embarrassment, scratching his head.

"Fine. I suppose I have nothing better to do today." I pulled open my interface, tapping on the light blue button for the «Friends» section. "A few conditions though." I sent over a friend request, glancing at my system log in my bottom left that read #Keita has accepted your request!#

"First, you show me where the quest giver is for this. Secondly, any «Perfect Fangs», «Sharpened Claws», or «Glorious Fangs» we get go to me. You guys can keep everything else, including the cor and xp." It was arguably a poor deal for myself. Xp was important in this world, and any bit of cor was useful cor. But the wolves in the forest surrounding the Tower here on the first floor though were incredibly useful for the rare drops you could get from them that could enhance two weapon parameters at once. If I even got five total it would be well worth however long assisting them would take.

"Er, alright." The brunet offered his hand. "The quest giver's over in a small home over by the south eastern markets."

I motioned for him to lead, swapping over to my «Steel Kopis» as we walked.

After the required conversation with the relevant NPC (a small trader that had many connections) , Keita brought me towards the northern gates, calling out to the group gathered by the gate. "Heeeey!" The teen waved his hand joyously, running up to greet his companions. "You guys ready for another crack at this?"

"Hell yeah! We'll get everything we need today for sure!" An excited blonde jumped into the air, landing with his hands clenched in front of him.

"What levels are you guys?" I narrowed my eyes in bewilderment. Unlike Keita who had a set of unrecognizable leather armor, the four other teens had a mismatch of thick cloth and leathers that exemplified the phrase 'patchwork quilt'.

"The others are at level seven while I'm currently at nine," Keita responded, moving to the center of his group. "I traveled to Tolbana with some people a few days after the first floor was cleared, so that's why I'm at a higher level than them."

My face scrunched up in pained disbelief. While I was certain we ourselves were around that level when we first arrived in Tolbana, realizing that there were people who had only just reached that point was hard to digest. "What about your gear?" I asked, pointing towards their outfits.

"We got all our gear back in the starter town," a patient looking teen taller than Keita stated.

The energetic one dressed in yellow spoke up again, an extremely pleased grin on his face. "It took us days of selling fruits and hunting monsters to get all this! Between food, costs for staying in an inn, and supplies, I thought we'd never get something for everybody."

I could do nothing but smile gently. If it'd taken them as long as they were suggesting, I had my work cut out for me. "My name's Asasaki, by the way. I'll be helping out guys out on this quest." I gave a two finger salute, my age more than my height making me feel very much out of place. "I use a one handed curved blade. I can keep some monsters under control if you let me do my own thing, but I'm perfectly fine operating under your orders if you already have a set battle plan." The five shared a brief look

"My name's Ducker!" The excitable boy with the yellow beanie jumped towards me, wielding his dagger in a way that easily belonged on the cover of an anime or manga poster. "I'm going to be the thief of our group!" He swung his weapon around in a reverse grip three times, ending with a sloppy flourish that he was inordinately proud of.

"I'm Tetsuo," the tallest one said. "I guess you could call me our group's forward?" He rubbed his head in embarrassment, unsure of himself. "I use a sword and shield." The purple themed boy pushed out his chest, smiling happily.

"Hey there!" A curly brunet waved, a pleasant look on his face. "You can call me Sasamaru. I'm one of the damage dealers in our group. I use a spear." Clothed in heavy green clothing, the teen offered me a cheery thumbs up.

"And this here is Sachi." Keita clapped his hands on the girl's baby blue clad shoulders, startling her. "She's another one of our damage dealers. Don't take offense if she doesn't talk to you much. She doesn't do very well with strangers."

"Keita!" The girl slipped away from her leader, hiding behind the chuckling shield user.

"Hey, it's true," he responded. "You're always hiding behind someone whenever we have to talk to someone, even when they're an NPC!" The boys shared a round of chuckles. "Now that we've got all the pleasantries out of the way, let's get going. We're going to need as much time as possible if we want to finish the quest today. " The group gave a hearty cheer, filling out the gate in a loose huddled mass.

I stared after them for a few seconds, processing the fact that I had essentially volunteered myself to be an over glorified baby sitter. "Hopefully I don't need to worry about them too much," I grumbled.

Having been exposed to more gaming terminology, I realized it was a slight mistake to refer to the unforested region north of Tolbana as a field. Using that term would imply that monsters should spawn in them. In reality, it was more of a large area of rolling plains. Meant for farmland, windmills occasionally lined the dirt roads like street lights, their white sails slowly turning in the wind.

If any monsters did spawn, they were nothing more than low level farm animals such as cows, goats, and the occasional domesticated, hairless pig. There were rumours of chickens spawning, but 'nobody sane would dare attack them' according to Klein. It was only when you got closer to the tree line that monsters like wolves, bees, and the odd mutated plant became more common.

"I'm going to follow your guy's lead for the time being," I stated when we entered the woods. "Like I mentioned before, direct me as you please. If you don't let me know what you'd like me to do then I'll just make sure nobody gets into trouble."

Keita nodded his understanding. "Same thing as last time, guys. Tetsuo, take point. Sachi, Sasamaru, stick to his sides. Ducker, Asasaki, take any openings you see. I'll help out where I'm needed."

A chorus of grunts responded to his orders. At the shield man's lead, we slowly made our way through the forest, their patchwork of garish armor completely destroying any chance of evading ocular detection.

/ ~ /

I flicked my sword to the side, harmless redirecting the wolf's paw. When we first encountered them, I was fully prepared for an annoying running battle with the creatures, forced to utilize the terrain and continually swapping aggression to maintain our health. As it turned out, the tells for their strikes were blatantly obvious, and it was more an exercise in patience than anything else.

"Sachi, nail it!"

The girl cried out in surprise and lunged forward awkwardly, still unused to her weapon. It was fairly sad if I was being honest. They fought with zeal, but it didn't change the fact that they were completely untrained in combat. Their attacks were arguably acceptable, but the only time they even remotely resembled fighters was when they used Sword Skills and even those seemed poorly executed after being exposed to those on the front lines. I dropped to the ground in response to a beastial growl, catching myself with my right arm and launching my aggressor through the air with a mule kick.

The lupine crashed into the other wolf that I was handling. Keita hadn't asked me to, but their formation was meant for single target control; a stark contrast to the adaptable buddy system Klein drilled into our minds with mealtime theory and on the spot mix ups to our composition when not exploring new areas.

I leapt back onto my feet and took a quick scan of the area. Unlike the forests near Horunka, the monsters in the Forsaken Woods were prone to wandering away from the area they spawned in; it was how we stumbled across these wolves after all. On top of that radius, their range of aggression was fairly far, a trait I suspected was designed to create a sense of urgency when travelling through this region.

Keita let out a cry, the smack of wooden staff against bone and tissue reaching my ears. The use of a staff was a questionable one, but during our time on the mountain Kirito had explained to me that the results one would normally expect from using blunted vs bladed weaponry had been reduced to less extreme point. There was obviously certain things that were stronger than others, such as a mace or war hammer on skeletons, but it wasn't such a significant disadvantage that it was required to go out of your way to change for every situation.

"If you guys are done cheering, you should help me out!" I reprimanded, tossing a wolf over me mid attack. Keita directed his companions to assist with that target, alternating between concerned and amazed looks when he could spare the time.

When my next opponent charged at me, I sidestepped its attack and hooked my left arm around its upper torso, leaping onto its back and rending its throat with my kopis. The beast carried me closer to the others, managing to keep its pace for a few steps before dispersing

"You guys okay on health?" I asked once I stood up. Being able to see their health bars, I could simply throw a potion their way if I felt it was necessary, but I wasn't quite willing to share the associated level of trust and consideration I had attached to that action from my time with Klein. When they all responded, I rejoined their group, folding my hands behind my head for their next orders.

The next few hunts progressed much in the same way. I'd take it upon myself to control extra monsters while Keita and his friends whittled down a single target until it fell. The few times we had a single monster I followed Keita's directions, feeling very much like I was participating in life sized chess with his single, verbal commands. When we finally took a break a few hours later, Keita and his friends sitting away from me, I sent a successful message to Klein detailing my situation.

After an eternity of poorly hidden glances, the leader of the teens finally worked up the nerve to talk to me. "Miss Asasaki?" He began. "We were wondering… That is," he made several more aborted attempts, finally speaking when I cleared my throat. "What level are you?"

"Level 16," I said, not meeting his gaze. "Don't think the reason why I can deal with those wolves so easily is just because I'm more than double their level though. There's more to this world than just numbers. If you don't know how to stare death right in the eye you won't be able to get very far." I huffed. "Of course, don't throw yourself right at death either. Bravery and stupidity go hand in hand. What you get labeled as is only determined afterwards."

"Oh," he said simply.

"Was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?" I pressured, not wanting to deal with his hesitation.

"Er, what do you think of us so far?"

"What do I think of you guys so far?" I repeated, taking a moment to compose my thoughts into something significantly less condescending. "Your friends are very good at following your orders. You yourself have a very clear understanding of how things need to be done with a firm grasp on making sure everybody benefits from each encounter. At the same time, it's exactly that that's your problem. For learning purposes, what you're doing is great, and there's very little I would change aside from your choice in monsters. But at some point, you're going to need to go over everybody's role in great detail so that you're not always telling them what to do." I leaned back on my hands and stared at the beams of light filtering through the treeline.

"It's nice that you're looking out for them, but at some point you won't be able to help them out. They're going to need to have some independence of their own. What if I wasn't around when you guys went out today? I know you did this previously, but obviously not with much success if you asked a complete stranger for assistance." I looked up at him, waiting until he met my gaze before speaking up again. "What would you have done differently had I not been there? When there was more than once monster?"

"I would have had Tetsuo and Sasamaru take one creature while I handled the other with Sachi," he answered without hesitation. "Ducker would help out with me since Tetsuo's the only one with a shield and can handle taking more damage."

I commended him for his reasoning. "That right there is another problem though. As you guys are now, you're perfect for taking down single monsters. But what happens when a group of monsters shows up? Somebody's going to be forced to tank damage when only there's only one person suited to do so. All your armor is a complete mess, too. Oh sure, it's better than just the starter chestpiece you all have, but overall it's terribly inefficient." I gestured towards my own protections, idly noting that the armor my companions and I used would need an upgrade if we wanted to safely progress through the higher floors.

"Once you can afford to, you need to decide on how to optimize your equipment. People who are going to take damage like Tetsuo need to consider wearing metal armor, whether it's something relatively light like scale male or pieces of armor like a breastplate and pauldrons if not full out plate. Damage dealers like myself or Ducker should look into only wearing leather armor; if we get bogged down by our equipment we won't be able to move around as quickly as we need to. Because we don't prioritize health or armor ratings, our best defense is not being hit at all."

I looked over at his companions, jabbering animatedly about something. "I'm sure you already know this though. Even if I can't see the numbers, by appearances alone it looks like Tetsuo and Ducker are aware of their roles." I held back a groan. "How much of that was redundant information?"

"Not all that much," he admitted sheepishly. "I don't really do much gaming. Most of us don't, really. We're all from our school's computer club, not gaming club. The five of us only tried this out because Ducker and Sasamaru wanted people to play with.

I looked away. It was worrying how many people had never experienced something like this before. It was a more common sight in the portal towns, but seeing groups of people head out only to return a few hours later due to inexperience wasn't an uncommon occurrence. "What about the guide book?" I prodded.

"The what?"

"The guide books put out by Argo." I flicked through my inventory and pulled out the two week old edition of Argo's First Floor guide, letting the teen look over it. "She puts one together for each floor. It's a general overview of what's available. Item shops, quest start locations and known rewards, monsters and what you can get from them. The start of each edition includes a list of new mechanics being introduced on the floor. The first floor edition is special in that is includes a primer on how to survive this world."

I waited a few moments, giving him time to digest the info. "The more stuff comes from people willing to check everything out. Argo pays for new information, so it's worthwhile for people to go out of their way to explore if they're into that sort of thing." I leaned back, observing the other people currently resting. Like Keita and his friends, their armor was a mismatch of styles. A few people had something organized, but they were the minority.

 _I guess not everybody was so lucky enough to get a quest that gave a full set of armor._

"Do you mind if I keep this?" He asked, looking up from the pages.

"A little bit. That's not the most recent edition though, so I don't know what's outdated or missing. When we get back to Tolbana I'll show you where to get one. Unlike the rest of Argo's services her books are free, so you don't need to worry about saving up for each edition.

Knowing that the male was about to be busy for several minutes, I decided that it would be worthwhile to talk with the rest of his companions. Whether due to some perception of me being a scary superior or just uncertainty, their conversation petered out as I approached. "How do you guys feel in regards to fighting?" I asked, figuring it wouldn't be a bad idea to see what I could do to stack the odds of survival in their favor.

"It's pretty scary," Ducker said without hesitation. "But I trust these guys to make sure I can get in without any trouble!" He grinned and wrapped an arm around Sasamaru. The other males expressed much the same thing: that it was strange going up against things so ready to bite their faces off. Curiously, Sachi diverted the conversation before it came to her turn, asking Ducker with false enthusiasm what he thought about the full body metal armor somebody at the other end of the clearing was wearing.

"It looks cool, but I dunno if that's the kind of look I'd go for if I wanted to wear heavy armor. I mean, come on! He looks like an english toilet for crying out loud!"

I closed my eyes in mirth, attempting to pull forward the instructor persona I used whenever I chaperoned for my nieces and nephews.

 _This is going to be my whole week, isn't it._

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I returned the waves with an exhausted smile, some energy returned when I noticed the new armor Harry and Dale were wearing. "Is that what you guys have been doing? Collecting ore for some new equipment?" I sat down next to Choryu, exchanging simple pleasantries with the dagger user.

"Yeah. All the metals we've saved up are basically useless now in terms of upgrades, so we thought we might as well put them to good use." Dale prodded at a piece of the fish scale looking armor on his torso, the half ovals overlapping like the tiles of a roof. "A shame our skill levels didn't transfer over at all. We're starting completely over again at 0."

"That just means we need to go fight some trash mobs to level you guys back up, doesn't it?" Issin grinned, pointing his spoon at the chef. "I for one, wouldn't object to heading back into the Tower here. There's some player artisans I saw on the way back that seem like they might be a good fit for that long term business plan Little Miss Ninja was going on about."

"Plus, with them being newbies we could try and leverage access to materials they'd have to wait a while for, once we return to the higher floors." Kunimitzz pulled away a handful of his bread loaf, the crust crackling between his hands.

"You guys are so evil, taking advantage of the beginners like that." I snickered, bringing my hand to my mouth. "Are you sure you aren't actually salesmen back in the real world?" My companions stared at me for a brief moment of uncomfortable silence. Surprisingly, it was Harry who broke his composure first, deliver a wonderfully deadpan line.

"Yes, Asasaki. We're all actually businessmen from the same corporation. I'm of course the most recent hire and we've been working on converting Choryu here into our ways." The now full plate wearing teen grinned slightly with satisfaction when I finally chuckled.

"Speaking our of little ninja, what have you been up to all day? I know said you were in the woods for a quest, but you never elaborated on that."

I met Klein's gaze, humming quietly. "Some low level players ended up roping me into doing helping them out with a material collection quest. They were completely inexperienced though and I ended up teaching them a lot of the basics." I massaged my neck, the soft spikes of annoyance lancing through my mind once again.

"I think that's very kind of you, Miss Asasaki. The lower level players here have a bit of a grudge against those on the front lines. Some of the ones we came across in the mines were complaining about how we were poaching on their land and should return back to the front lines." Choryu sipped at his drink, an odd, sweet, pinkish liquid that he said had a muted bitter aftertaste. "Nobody complained once we got past the torchlight though. Seems they weren't ready to go that deep."

"It's not exactly like I did it for free," I admitted, thanking the NPC when my food arrived. "In exchange for all the experience, gold, and most of the items, I'm getting all of the weapon upgrade materials from the wolves we have to kill."

"And we're the corrupt salesmen?" Dynamm muttered, raising a brow..

"It's not as if I can't catch up by fighting some monsters elsewhere." Part of me wanted to tack on that I would likely have done it by myself, but after the debacle of yesterday I wanted to be cautious until we dealt with it properly. Those kids were structured for single target fighting, not the dynamic, fluid fighting we can pull off." I snapped my fingers, smoothly raising my pointer from the same motion. "Speaking about monsters, Mitsui wants us to go check out the swamp lands first, instead of checking out the northern mines."

"My quest log doesn't say anything about that," Harry commented, flicking through his interface.

I quickly referenced my own log, having completely forgotten about it. Regarding the 'Regional Woes' quest line, the information gave only the basic, simply detailing to explore the five areas in the northern half of the first floor. "I don't know if something like that was important enough to change the information. Also, even if there was a change we weren't partied up, so it wouldn't have transferred over." There was also the small doubt that interactions with Mitsui most likely wouldn't be written down by the system. I knew in my mind she was an NPC, but my conversations with her felt far too 'human'.

"If that's what Mitsui wants, I suppose we can go head over. Did she say why?" Klein asked, reading over something.

"She's sending some researchers and scholars to take a look at whatever those goblins were looking at. She's worried there might be a force in the swamps and she wants us to take care of them if there's anything. Basically glorified security detail and a kill quest. If we don't come across anything, then she wants us to reduce the monster population there. A lot more creatures there have been growing past their normal size and they've been making it difficult for workers there to do their job."

"Two hundred yen we end up coming across a big, fat goblin living inside a hollowed out tree," Issin whispered to Klein.

"I might not join up with you guys for a day or two," I added. "It really depends on how long it takes for me to help those kids out with their quest. I'd feel bad if I didn't finish up their training on how to fight properly."

"No worries. Just send us a message when you're all done." Klein gave a smile before turning towards Harry, referencing something from Argo's guidebook.

 _I'm surprised nobody mentioned the fight yesterday._

The seven males seemed to be in good spirits. As far as I could tell, my near death incident seemed to have been completely forgotten. A yawn escaped my lips. "I think I'm going to head up to my room. I dunno why, but I'm feeling pretty tired.."

"Must be because you were probably doing more work than you were used to. PUG's are generally like that," Klein remarked off-handedly. "Do you mind if I swing by your room tonight?" He asked, realizing who said that.

"Sure. If I fall asleep, just keep knocking until I wake up, okay?" I stretched my arms out before standing, bringing my dishes over to the front counter. Like last time, the inn we had chosen was fairly out of the way. There were certainly more players around, but not so many that it could be called full.

"So when are we heading up to the third floor?" One of the patrons asked.

"Wait, they already beat the 2nd floor boss?"

"Yeah, just happened a few hours ago. Heard from one of my friends who was in the raid group. You know apparently one of the most influential players was using small throwing hoops as a weapon?"

"Seriously? Do you think that means we'll be able to use proper ranged weapons?"

"I doubt it. The distance on those things were pretty short. Besides, could you imagine what it'd be like if we came across monsters that regularly used ranged attacks? It'd be a nightmare."

 _I should send a message to Asuna-san and Kirito. Must have been quite the story._

I flopped onto my bed, relishing the feel. It wasn't quite a spring mattress or memory foam like the ones I used back in America, but it was much better than sleeping on the floor. "Christmas is in nine days, isn't it?" I whispered, manually removing my clothes. Ordinarily you'd need to utilize the menu to do such a thing but as Issin and Kunimitzz discovered, the moment you deactivated the morality setting a whole slew of things became possible in regards to tactile functions.

"Sorry, Rach. Looks like I'm going to miss your play." I pulled my shirt over my head, dumping it at the side of my bed with the rest of my armor. "And your birthday. And our family picnic at the manor." I closed my eyes, pleading my mind to stop thinking about what I would be missing across the world.

"Don't worry, though." I pulled the simple blankets around my body, curling up into a ball. "I can't die yet. Not until you get married." I yawned, drowning myself in the wishful fantasies of the future. "And most definitely not before I get married…"

* * *

 _Not sure when the next update will be. I'd love to say that it'll be this upcoming Friday-Sat 22-23, but I dunno if I can crank out something in that time frame. I'm also really partial to a Friday-Sat upload date, but we'll see how it goes. At the latest, next update should be the following week of 29-30._


	14. Sanctity of Life

_Technically didn't meet my personal goal of 8k words per chapter, but it felt like a natural ending and I didn't want to mess with it._

* * *

Like every peaceful morning, I wasn't fully awake until I found my knees moving to and from my face, the protest of my muscles dimming with each pulse. As far as I could tell, Klein never visited me over the night. If he did try, then I had ended up in far too deep a sleep to have noticed his efforts.

 _Maybe I should have created a party with him so he could have entered._

I rolled onto my stomach and pushed myself onto my feet, moving through the motions of equipping clothing I had designated for my morning runs while I headed down to the cafe. Though I no longer woke up the rest of my companions at the ripe time of 5:30 in the morning, they had still taken the up the practice of group exercises. I would have joined them when they started around half an hour later than me, but my pace was too fast for them and it wouldn't have helped anyone.

"One day we'll be able to keep up with you, Asasaki," Klein remarked when I joined them at breakfast.

"When you do, just know that I won't stop making you guys run." I smirked at the playful groan Issin gave. "You might be able to do it in here, but this is still virtual reality. Everybody needs to keep the habit up so that when we get out of here we can have an easier time recovering. Your minds will be used to the work and so all you'll need to worry about is recovery."

"So you keep telling us." Issin grinned. "See, what's she's saying between the lines is that she's trying to building her own personal harem of strapping young lads. Sure, we might not end up involved with her, but we'll be eye candy she can call on at any time."

I let his theorizing go for a moment without comment, letting everybody digest it. "The only thing I'll refute is the harem part. Everything else I will willingly stand guilty for. God knows people don't exercise as much as they should," I stated, quietly laughing alongside my companions.

"So you're not going to be joining us today, right?" Klein asked, showing me the message I sent him yesterday regarding the kids I was helping.

"I'd feel wrong if I didn't help those kids like I promised." I thanked the NPC when they brought out my food, savoring every bite of the ham steak and eggs.

"I see." Klein crossed his arms and stared at his food. "Hopefully we can send a message while we're in the swamp. I know the zones have been acting up for us."

"So why doesn't Asasaki just stay in our party?" Issin questioned.

"I promised the other group that they'd get all my share, but they'd give me the rare materials in return. Can't exactly give them the experience or Cor if I'm not set up that way."

"There's also the question of whether or not the party system will even work that far." Harry turned his screen around and pointed at the two sections we'd each be in today. "I know we can use it between floors in the labyrinth and in the same area, but if we're in two separate zones who know if it'll dissolve on its own."

I nodded in agreement. "If you really miss me that badly Issin, I can always team up with you next time we head out," I teased.

"See, and this is why we should appreciate Asasaki." The fisherman grinned and pointed at me with both index fingers. "She knows how to take care of us!"

"Just make sure you or those kids don't do anything stupid, alright? I know you can handle yourself, but I don't know if you're good enough to take down a monster while keeping a bunch of newbies safe." Klein gave me a sideways look, swirling the 'alcoholic' liquid in his cup. This early in the day, we didn't need to worry about censoring term 'newbie' was one of those things that shouldn't be problematic but general use often meant it was an insult instead.

"I'm going to stock back up on supplies before I head out," I mentioned after finishing my meal. "What I have now should be fine, but I'm sure I'm going to end up needing extras."

"We'll let you know what to expect once we get things figured out. Try and make the quest go by fast, okay?" Harry looked up from his guide book, right hand still typing away at his interface. "You're an important part of our composition. None of us can match up with the fluid control and damage you provide."

"I'll do what I can. Be safe, alright?" I waved with both hands as I backed towards the door, meeting Klein's gaze before exiting. It felt wrong leaving without resolving whatever problem the others had with my actions. The entire time I sat beside him, Klein looked like he wanted to take me aside and talk with me, but since I had instilled into them the importance of making sure you had enough time in the day to accomplish everything, I could also tell he was warring against the expectation that whatever he wanted to talk to me about would take much longer than either of had at the moment.

#I'll be at the north gate. Shake me awake if I look like I'm sleeping.#

Message sent to Keita, I made my way to the NPC markets, replenishing my supplies of healing and restorative potions. While there wasn't a limit to how many items you could carry in the traditional sense, you were still gated by how much weight you could carry. For me, on top of my armor and the weapons I carried, that meant I could safely bring along twelve potions alongside eight preventatives for poison and paralysis.

I nestled into the stone bench underneath the simple wood and cotton awning, folding my head guard up to act as a pillow. After a few minutes of relative silence, I pulled open my interface and accessed the «Skills» portion, looking over a few that had caught my eye. A small blip in the lower right of my vision broke my concentration.

#Remember a few weeks ago when I said you weren't ready to lead a group?#

#It was more because you forgot to give orders to the rest of us.#

#I know you've been a leader before back in the real world, but most people aren't able to live up to your expectations.#

#Just keep that in mind if you end up taking control of that group, alright?#

I shook my head at the cheering kaomoji Klein sent, wondering if he memorized them or managed to have some on access through some function I never discovered. I wouldn't have put it past the man do put in that much effort for his emoticons.

"You wake up really early, you know that Miss AsasakI?"

"Habits from reality," I told the eldest of the five. I swung my legs onto the floor, suppressing the desire for the honorific to be dropped. "We're going to be taking it kind of slow today. Yesterday we went over the specifics of what each of you should do. Today, we're going to be putting that into practice. After each battle, I want to discuss what you think you did right and what you think you need to improve on." I stood, looking each of them in the eye. "Keita, you'll be in charge of making sure everybody's safe. I'll start you guys off slowly; one monster at first and then increasing the amount every so often."

The children of the Fukasawa Computer Club sounded their understanding, their cheerful expressions reminding me of the first time I introduced myself to my assigned group of campers for a summer camp.

Our journey back into the «Forsaken Forest» was uneventful. Were it not the material collection quest we were on, I would have strongly suggested that we head into the Tower instead, regardless of the rumors floating around about players starting to steal away monsters.

"You guys wait here," I told them. "I'll go catch something for us." Hunting for the roaming wolves was no different than tracking down goblins back in the «Wandering Woods». The markings weren't as easy, but once I began readily recognizing the sign my job became significantly more easier.

"Perfect." I dropped down from the tree and slashed at one of the wolves, dodging the twin attacks amidst my assault. Five hits from my Armor Splitter and the quadruped dematerialized, its sibling chasing me back to the clearing I left the teens in. "Sachi, take it!" I dove into a roll, rising up behind Sasamaru. For the purposes of these exercises there were essentially on their own. I would only step in if absolutely necessary.

The girl stepped forward and jabbed with her spear, a look of intense concentration on her face. The tip of her spear plunged into the wolf, driving it back a few inches. "Ducker, Tetsuo!" At the staff user's command, the two boys rushed up and took over, forcing the aggro onto them. With my teachings from yesterday, the five of them worked at the monster, alternating to keep the wolf switching between them while Ducker and Keita took advantage of whatever opening they could.

With every attempt I went over their performance, praising their ability to grasp the 'switch' mechanic. "Next run you guys are going to deal with two. Keita, how would you direct your team?" I had asked him about it before, but I wanted to see if anything would change after the advice I had given.

"Sasamaru, Sachi, and Ducker would be on one while Tetsuo and I take care of the other. With their output, they should be able to cover each other even without a shield user. In the future we need think about getting somebody into heavy armor. I know mobility's important for damage dealers, but if we don't have another tank to work around we'll have to be more cautious about our engagements."

"Good. While I go get some more wolves, take another look at all the abilities you have available to you right now. Keep working on memorizing your pre-motions as well as how long each post-motion is. At these lower levels and floors, just knowing how to use your weapons and abilities is fine, but eventually we'll reach a point where you need to know how to transition between everything smoothly. The faster you get to that point, the better."

As far as group fighting went, they performed better than my initial expectations. There were issues of course; Sachi always flinched whenever the target made a move for her, Sasamaru overextended nearly all of his normal strikes, and Keita had trouble coordinating his attacks with Tetsuo and would constantly get in the way of the shield user's attempts to block. It wasn't worth my time to harp on them about in great detail though. They were all things I had brought up before and would only be fixed by time and experience.

"Once we get you guys your armor, what would you say to messing around in the Tower? The monsters there are humanoid and so are a bit easier to deal with but hit harder and have more hp." I held out a potion for Ducker to take, the blonde having suffered a few hits the previous attempt.

"Whatever you think we can handle, Miss Asasaki." Keita moved shoulder to shoulder with Tetsuo and Sasamaru, the three boys standing proud in the face of their accomplishments. "Our lives are in your hands."

The corner of my mouth twitched, reflexively held there in a one sided smile to try and hide the slip. "A bit of a reversal for that from this point on. I want you guys to go on the hunt. I'll keep extra monsters off you guys. Eventually I'll wean you onto three, but for now all of you just need more combat experience." I gave the other girl in our group a meaningful look. "Whenever you're ready, I'll follow behind." I rested my hands on the pommels of my two swords, smiling reassuringly at the teens.

Keita looked at his group, putting on a forced grin. "How about we go…" The teen spun around and pointed in a random direction. "That way!" It was incidentally the direction that I had been going in to pull monsters. Whether we found any or not wasn't entirely my concern.

"By the way, Miss Asasaki. Why do you use two swords?" Sasamaru asked, moving back to gesture at my weapons.

"Mostly because my normal attack rate is a lot faster than using sword skills, even if they're not as strong individually," I told the green garbed spear user. "The way I fight is also better suited for individual strikes. The post-motion that you suffer from as a result of using abilities is a bit too long for my tastes. Even if I wanted to use Sword Skills, I couldn't. Not with my setup. When you have two weapons equipped the system prevents you from using weapon based abilities."

I smirked. "Don't think about trying to pull the same thing though. You'd need years of basic training with just a single weapon and then from there you'd need even longer training to apply the same techniques to your off hand, and then use them at the same time. I suppose it helps that I'm ambidextrous, though not by much."

"Wait, you don't use any sword skills?" Ducked slipped away from his conversation with Sachi, his eyes wide.

"I do. But when I'm by myself I don't really touch them unless I have a very clear opening. It's not worth it in my opinion to leave myself vulnerable, even if it is for less than a second or less. I'm used to fighting in real life where every moment matters. I know that abilities can deal almost double the damage of normal attacks, but it's that concept of 'I'm going to be stuck in this position and nobody can help me' that makes me instinctively dismiss it as worthless."

The two fell silent, occasionally staring at me. "Don't think about it too much. Just keep working on your basic for now. Eventually you'll find the style that fits you." I smiled to myself, placing the sound of buzzing.

 _Let's see how they handle this._

"Does anybody else hear that?" Tetsuo stopped and looked around, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"Hear what?" Sachi chimed.

Keita look back at his companions, utter confusion on his face. "Something wrong?"

"There's a weird sound coming from up ahead." Tetsuo gestured with his sword, bringing his shield up into a defensive position.

"Alright guys, Form up. Single target pattern." I obediently followed Keita's command, taking my place on the left side of our pentagonal formation behind Sachi. From farther down the path we would have taken, a flying insect the size of a large wolf shot towards us, leaves billowing in its wake.

"Tetsuo!" Keita called, his voice cracking.

The teen moved into a defensive stance, calling for someone to assist him. Sasamaru stepped up and added his own strength to Tetsuo's frame, digging his feet into the ground in anticipation of the impact. The stinger of the «Raging Hornet» slammed against Tetsuo's round shield, the two pushed back but still able to maintain their footing.

"Sachi, Ducker!" The younger two ran out, driving their weapons along the lower portion of the wasp's body.

"Aim for the base of the stinger or its wings! Those were weak spots on previous iterations!" I tapped my fingers along the hilt of my kopis. I was sure that the kids would be fine, but that didn't stop the worry.

Keita took over Tetsuo's spot, swinging his staff down with the blue shine of «Orbital Displacement». The insect collapsed to the ground, spasming while yellow arcs danced along its body. Without a word, Sasamaru maneuvered around his allies and drove his spear into its abdomen, a neon red trailing through the air. "Keep it pinned down!" Keita yelled, stabbing down at the creature's wings.

The group fell upon the beast with reckless abandon. Truthfully, they resembled a group of ruffians beating a defenceless victim more than trained fighters dismantling a target. Not that I would tell them that. As far as they knew, they had just safely taken down something far above their level. "You guys get anything good?" I asked, moving behind Sachi. The girl jolted away when I spoke, interposing Tetsuo between us.

"Just some «Gossamer Wing Fragments». What are those for?" Keita asked, finger poised over his interface.

"Weapon upgrades, specific kinds of cloth armor, and possibly some potions. I'm honestly not sure. It sounds familiar, but I can't recall from where." I pulled open my quest log, reading over the information. "We've still got a lot of materials to collect." The ^Lupine Extermination quest was as much a kill quest as it was material collection. The biggest item was something that dropped nearly every kill, with the rest of the drops randomly occurring. "Also, keep in mind that I'm still going to need the items for myself. If something ends up happening and I have to do it on my own, I don't mind, but it'd be nice to get this done while we're all together."

"Of course. It's the least we can do." The other four followed up on Ducker's cheerful smile, Sachi's and Keita's slightly more reserved.

Over the course of the next few hours, Keita continued leading his friends against the creatures we came across. Often times the monsters would come to us, but on occasion we stumbled upon plant based creatures. I was sorely tempted to take them out as fast as possible, but the knowledge that there my group were severely less experienced than me kept me from acting.

"At this rate, we might be done with the quest by nightfall," I commented, biting into my sandwich. Like yesterday, the safe zone located partway between the entrance to the forest and the Tower was occupied by numerous groups of varying levels and equipment.

Based solely on the way they carried themselves as well as the few snippets of conversation, the players here wanted to try and get better in this world but weren't sure of themselves, sticking to the safer monsters instead of diving into the tower and facing the humanoids within.

I moved knees underneath me, staring off into the distance. "Might be able to get it done sooner if I go off and do my own thing, but I don't know what kind of dangers you guys would get in to." I waved my hand in anticipation of their rebuttals. "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that things can go very wrong very fast. The monsters around here have that large detection radius so even if I'm a more notable target they might still end focusing you."

"Would that be beneficial for you, Miss Asasaki? I'm sure you have other things you'd like to take care of." Keita smiled softly, his expression more substantial than most he gave towards me.

I hummed, looking over them critically. If they had survived up to this point it was safe to assume they at least knew the minimum of survival. My helping them just bolstered theirs odds. That or they travelled in a large group and avoided serious combat. It would explain why Keita was directing them so heavily yesterday. "I think I've taught you guys what I could. If you end up having any questions alter, just refer to your guide books or message me, alright?"

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I stared at my screen forlornly. A few hours ago Klein had informed me that aside from the tiny settlement all the relevant areas were under the same effects of a dungeon, and that they wouldn't be able to maintain contact with me until they either finished the quest or I met up with them. Everything required of them at this point in time seemed to be a kill quest with a minor amount of plant based material collection.

Kirito and Asuna were also unable to be reached, the system giving me a 'this player is unable to be reached' whenever I tried sending them something. I would have messaged Argo, but it felt strange to me trying to converse with her. I didn't think I could do something like that without naturally bringing up questions that she'd extort me for.

"At least I got plenty of materials today." While not quite every minute, the sheer number of wolves I went through allowed me to claim a sizable amount of fangs and claws. The ingredients would be enough to last me around half a dozen upgrade attempts if I decided to continue pursuing accuracy and sharpness. Durability would be nice where I could afford it, but I didn't mind going out of my way to repair my equipment. Were I able to, I would have maintained my equipment on my own. As with most things game related, Harry had to explain to me that most games didn't want their players to become jack of all trades. Being forced to specialise allowed an economy to form where every style was desired for something.

"God I'm such an old lady." I swung my legs up and laid down on the stone bench of the western amphitheatre. As far as I could tell, nobody else had come up here since the meeting for the first floor boos. If they had, they stuck to the established paths that had been taken by the participants, clear foot paths scattered among the dust.

 _I seriously need to consider picking up a skill I can do when I'm bored. Just lazing about or practicing my martial skills isn't going to cut it anymore._

I turned over onto my stomach. Word on the street was that the front lines had moved up another floor. This time the setting was something based around a forest. The main city seemed to have been built and grown directly into a massive tree. Alongside the rush of exploration that occurred to earn some easy cor from Argo, there was a surge of players who were rushing to officially established a guild.

Essentially an enhanced version of a party, Argo's Guide suggested that a guild was privy to a shared storage for all members to use and that while partied with fellow members you also received a small stat buff. In exchange you had to give up a portion of the gold you earned for upkeep purposes, but the vast majority of what was taken ended up being saved into said bank.

Common talk among players that had accepted we were stuck in this world talked about how eventually you could purchase a building for yourself in any of the towns. As nice as it sounded, I wasn't sure how to feel about the idea that I'd be the only female in my group if we ever purchased something for ourselves.

"Maybe that's what I should do while they're all fighting evil monsters. Network. Find and talk to people to work for us. Get some more estrogen into the group" I chuckled. "Yup. That sounds like something I'd do. Go around helping people while I'm not needed and get into the graces of everybody to create a mutually beneficial relationship." I sat back up and stared at the city. Being set in the medieval ages, there was a very natural rustic look to the place. Stone buildings that reached for the sky like blooming crops, streets aglow with torchlight like the roads of an airport, all while shadowed figures traveled the cobblestone roads.

 _I feel like being stupid._

I sprung onto my feet and stretched, putting my helmet back on after making sure my weapons were still at my sides. "Sorry, Klein. But I'm bored, and nobody's around to entertain me. Besides, it's not like anything around here can really hurt me." I flicked the point on my forearm where a wolf had clamped on, its teeth having done marginal amounts of damage. "I know how to maintain my health, I know the forest pretty well thanks to helping out those kids, and my skills are at a high enough level where I can two or three shot things if I really try."

I headed down the mountainside, a small amount of pep coloring my steps. In truth I was actually fairly hesitant to head back out alone, but if something went wrong I could always abuse my stats and make a dead run to the safe zone or the fields. It would be a nice change of pace to work under the cover of darkness again.

Aside from having to perform at 110% to notice anything that seemed out of place, night operations were wonderful for focusing the mind. In the daytime, there was so much activity going on that you naturally felt obligated to behave at the same level of energy that you were surrounded by. At night, the silence and the darkness made you feel like you were the owner of your own little world. That there was nothing but you and the stars for miles on end. And if at any point in time if you ever got lonely, all you needed to do was call out and somebody would enter the small space of solace you created.

I paused at the edge of the northern gate. If I stepped through, I would willingly expose myself to the enhanced dangers. There were of course people who preferred hunting at night, but that was as a group and their main reasoning was because they didn't need to worry about fighting for resources like the lower level players had to when Keita let me run wild.

I had to remind myself that my numbers were high enough that combined with my honed abilities, there would be very little if anything that could possibly pose a threat. "What would Klein say if he saw me now." I took a few breaths before answering. "Probably 'make sure you bring somebody along', before going back to bed." I snorted.

"I swear, that guy takes forever to fully wake up." I took another breath and stepped forward, not letting my brain a moment to put up any protests. Quietly I walked, the sounds of my footfalls creating a beat for the symphony of the wind and crickets chirping their melodies.

With the trees masking any sounds that might possibly come out of the forest, it was easy to believe that I was truly alone. "I'm sure I'll run across a group of lucky idiots that think night operations are the best." I smiled to myself and walked into the forest, instinctively slowing my pace to reduce the amount of noise I was making.

At some point I'd stop caring about the noise in favor of killing whatever I came across, but for now I'd do my utmost best to maintain the facade that I was still in the real world performing an important operation.

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I kicked off a tree and drove my knee into the wolf's back, sending it into the ground. No longer obligated to aide others, I was able to hunt down whatever I wanted. The only constant among all my targets were a neon pink indicator instead of the whitish pink of the day time. The speed of their attacks was increased as well, all in all leading to very enjoyable fights. While not quite the heart pounding fights I had with the rock golems or the creatures of the second floor, I still found myself grinning madly with every dodge and attack.

Another twirl and flowing triple strike ended the last remaining wolf, its shattering body calling forth a screen notifying me of the cor and experience I had acquired. "I should have claimed some of my items from those kids." I stretched my arms out, let out soft groans of pleasure. "Would have made this trip a lot easier."

 _But nooo. Instead I had to promise them I'd spend another day helping them out._

Alas for me I had to essentially do the entire quest on my own. Not that I was complaining much. Having external things that were out of my control meant I didn't need to focus on the internal issues that were begging for attention. It was stupid of me to put them off, but it wasn't as if I had a pressing need to take care of them.

I continued my trek through the forest, looping around trees in order to make sure that I wasn't missing any monsters that decided hiding would be the best option for the evening. More than once I had managed to 'sneak' up on a monster, quietly ending it before it had a chance to respond. It was surprising, but made a small amount of sense considering how close it was to midnight, The bigger surprise was the fact that there didn't seem to be any nocturnal monsters such as giant rats or owls. Perhaps those would be on the higher floors.

I paused at another clearing, taking deep breaths of the cool, biting air.

 _2349\. I should considering heading back._

I slowly fell onto my back, letting the silence wash over me. During my search for targets I had come across groups of players squaring off against monsters, taking no shame in stealing away one or two if they didn't seem capable of handling them safely. The angry yells weren't entirely unexpected, but I'd rather that they be safe over risking their life for a bit of extra xp.

"Time to keep moving." I rolled backwards onto my feet, taking a moment to stretch my upper body once more. "New plan. I head back once I level up." I was rather close to hitting 17. Over the past three hours I'd slain enough things to cover some eight for ten percent, needing only another five percent more.

The remained of my journey went completely unmolested. Where once there was a den of activity, there was now an utter void of movement. Even the natural noise seemed to have stopped. At 0000 on the dot a tremendous howl ruptured the silence. The background music which had since become white noise for me began playing an energetic percussion heavy song, the anthem slowly rising in volume.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by." I grinned and shot off, constantly referencing my mini-map in relation to the origin of the sound. Soon the din of combat reached my ears, the familiar ringing of sword skills and metal tearing into flesh and bone guiding me towards their creators.

"Unit B, swap in after the next round of Sword Skills! Units C and D, continue luring it around the field!"

"Ho?" I licked my upper teeth reflexively. In the large clearing around the size of the safe zone, a large wolf easily the size of a humvee bounded after a group of six people garbed in themed, tight familiar clothing reminiscent of stagehand uniforms. The remaining six armed with melee weapons were dressed much in the same way. With a start I realized that these were the very same players I had been stealing monsters from. I continued watching to get a general sense of their plan and the wolf's attack pattern before joining in on the fight, slipping in the small space between the attacks of their two front lines."

"Who is this?!" One of the cosplaying ninja shouted, halting mid stride.

"Ignore her! Continue fighting the beast!"

My heart sang with joy. I didn't yet have an eye for gauging output, but I could make a good enough approximation of how much damage I could deal without causing an Off Tank to occur. A shame though that I wasn't able to see an exact number of our damage. If I knew the output of each of the four groups, I could weave abilities and normal attacks so that I could keep up a continuous stream without having to fall back and wait for another someone to exceed my output.

"Woman!" A commanding voice rose over the war cries. "If you get the last hit, take what you please, but leave the armor to us!"

"And why should I do that?" I taunted, rotating my swords around in my hands as I waited for another call of 'switch'.

"That armor is important for our work. We will not have this chance again for some time!" I hummed in response to the lead ninja, eying the laminar pieces of metal armor attached to his clothing in several places.

"But isn't there twelve of you?" I questioned, preparing myself to charge back in. "Statistically speaking, I only have around a seven or eight percent chance of landing that blow."

"This is true. But we would appreciate it nonetheless. If you need convincing, we will be willing to compensate you for the item."

"We'll see. If there's something about it that I like, I might end up keeping it. Guess that just means all twelve of you need to be on top of your game then, doesn't it." I charged in alongside 'Unit B', pulling my blade along behind me as I scored a blood red line into the wolf's side. "For what it's worth, I really hope you guys get it. I'm just pleased I get to fight something this big that isn't humanoid. Really lets me just relax and unwind," I told him when we next had a moment.

"We thank you." The false ninja bowed his head marginally, his sword still aimed at the hound. A thin mist of ice began spreading out from «Managarmr, Envoy of the Eclipse». "Special strike, fall back!" He yelled.

Scattered throughout the pall of crystalline water, snow blue light flashed intermittently. The cloud grew to around ten feet before the entire thing suddenly morphed into a block of ice, the sound of shattered glass ringing out before the ovular sheet disappeared in a flurry of shards. "Taro, time it!" A voice utter their response, ascending numbers barely audible. "Switch!" The leader called out, leading the charge.

I took a quick breath and leapt onto the wolf's back, slashing into its back with each step. As I near its head I threw myself into a tight aerial somersault, impaling my weapons into the back of its head as I landed. The creature reared onto its hind legs and howled, the cloud of ice forming once again.

"Thirty seconds! Health at 80%!"

I flung myself off Managarmr, tucking into a roll and landing beside a familiar player garbed in a dark green outfit. "That short a cool down on a freeze?" The ice shattered, the lone armored ninja calling for Unit A to stay back while the ranged units built up more aggro. "What are you guys trying to get from this thing, anyway?" I asked.

"We need not tell you anything, bōryokuda."

"Are you still mad about that?" I snorted, jogging slowly to keep pace with the movement of the wolf. "I told you before, it was nothing personal. I had a prior engagement with the info broker. That you happened to be pushing a hard bargain at the time was just incidental."

Kotoru grunted and repositioned, ending the conversation there.

"They sure are a friendly bunch," I whispered to myself. When the head called out for the next group to engage in combat, I ran alongside them, keeping only my «Armor Splitter» equipped. The leader of the ninja let out a torrent of light, forcing the attention of the wolf onto him and allowing us free reign on the beast's body. I hacked away at its leg over and over, turning the red line into a deep, angry maroon. Another howl summoned forth a wall of flat topped icicles, knocking the four of us back.

A pair of arms slipped under my shoulders and pulled me back, the voice of one of the other ninja calling out commands in place of their leader. "Restore your health, Miss. We shall cover for you." I grunted in thanks, hands moving to pull out a restorative without conscious input.

The damage wasn't as severe as I initially feared. The potions I had on me could restore around a tenth or fifteenth of my health over the course of a minute, with a two minute cooldown between each use. If I absolutely had to, I could take around ten more of those attacks without having to consider running away. Healing potions did nothing for status effects though.

"Unit B, to me!" I tossed the now empty bottle into my inventory, jogging over to the trio. "Speak quickly. What did you attack?" When we all responded with legs, the shinobi huffed. "When next we engage, do the same. We must find the condition for that attack."

"Hey, drink this," I said, ignoring the sound of spontaneous freezing. "Might help with the 'Delay' effect." I held out a bottle of yellow liquid for each of the others. "It'll take a while to kick in, but that's two ice different moves already and we're not even halfway done."

"Thank you. If you are able, let us talk when this is over." The man pulled back his shoulders and stepped forward. "Unit A, fall back! Unit C, Sword Skills! Unit B, «Reaver» when they land!" The elder moved his blade beside his head, only releasing the charged skill when a salvo of lights smashed into Managarmr's head.

I ran after the three ninja, hopping into a jump stop to accurately perform «Sparrow in Flight». As i fell my sword flashed green, «Twilt Horizon» snaking out thrice before I landed. From there I chained together blade skills and martial art strikes, making my way to the wolf's rear leg before continuing my assault. In the corner of my eye I noticed powder blue lights flashed among all the places I struck. In the next instant I found myself tumbling through the air, the combined post-motions preventing me from moving.

"Woman! What is your condition!?" Another human roar was released, waves of jagged orange and yellow being sent into the air.

"Post motion, don't mind me!" I called out, processing my condition.

 _Sword's missing. Delay and Stun applied. Is it damage? Surrounded by all sides?_

I watched the timer for the «Stun» effect agonizingly tick down, held in place until the invisible post-motion ran out. A full ten seconds of inactivity, the debuff was something that could occur randomly alongside Delay whenever significant damage was taken.

 _I need to hang back and watch._

When the movement impediment disappeared, I rolled onto my feet and picked up my weapon, hand flicking out to summon another potion. In the allure of combat, I never took the time to notice the four health bars above its head. "Oi! Boss man! What the hell is this thing?" I yelled, swapping my focus between the rate that health was lost and the positioning of the other units.

"Hidden Boss," He responded. "Our clan discovered the method to call forth the creature in the first week. It was a well kept secret that only we were privy to." The man's head jerked towards the ranged units at the other end of the clearing. "Unit C and D, abilities!"

Without hesitation the six ranged units fired out a myriad of lights. "Hey, can I have a name? It's getting kind of strange constantly referring to you in my mind as 'the armored ninja'."

"You may call me Shen. Unit A, fall back! Taro, status!"

"Frost AoE consistently activates every thirty seconds! Heath bars declining at alternating three and four percent!" The man let loose another needle, hands deftly tapping at his interface and calling forth another bandolier of the projectiles.

"Continue whittling it down! Pot after each rotation if needed! Unit B, forward!"

For what felt like hours we continually swapped out, testing the conditions of Managarmr's special moves until we figured out the limits. At some point we accidentally engaged as one from the front, receiving a conical breath of frost for our troubles. When the ranged units ran out of ammunition, Shen and Taro wordlessly modified their roles, the latter effortlessly directing the seven remaining fighters around the field in a beautious symphony of attacks. It was only when the sky above us began shifting towards lighter shades of blue that the wolf was finally beaten, dematerializing as it gracefully collapsed to the ground, appearing much like a fading spectre.

I grinned and spun in place, falling to the ground in pure bliss. The ability to adapt to the changes of battle had impressed me greatly. Even more so when the two leaders of the melee units began take over each other's roles without fail.

"What items did you acquire, Demon-Nin?"

I lazily looked over at Shen, belatedly realizing that he was doing his utmost best to cosplay as his namesake. "Three «Pelt of the Lunar Wolf», several «Fang of the Demonic Envoy», a handful of «Chilled Canid Meat», and one «Cloak of the Frostborn»." I made a noise of appreciation, sitting up as I looked over the stats.

"We would like to trade you for that last item," he spoke immediately.

"Any particular reason why?" I questioned, marveling at the maximum amount of upgrades.

"That item is part of a set. We are collecting it. Most assuredly it is required for a hidden quest somewhere in the upper floors."

"How about a deal?" I offered, smiling wryly at the prone bodies of the five other fighters. "I hold onto this thing as well as any other equipment I get. In exchange, I help you guys out and then once we get all the items for the set I trade them over." It screwed them over immensely, but I enjoyed working with them. It was extremely reminiscent of the squads I had back in reality. Klein and the others did what they could, but compared to the teamwork these twelve displayed it felt more akin to a highly organized mob than a disciplined unit.

Shen let out a long and silent sigh, maintaining his gaze with me for several drawn out seconds. "Very well. We already have the «Gloves of the Frostborn». Through we were able to claim a full set back in the beta, it is unknown if the beast will drop repeat equipment. Add us to your friends list. We shall contact you when the beast will next spawn."

I swiped open my interface, tapping the relevant places. "Might be asking for a lot, but do you mind sharing how you know this thing appears?"

"I suppose there is no harm in telling you." Shen motioned for me to follow after him as he assisted his men to their feet. "The creature is one of several who will only show when a floor above them is cleared. When that first condition is met, you must then kill over a thousand monsters of the same type before the next day. This number is shared amongst all players hunting on the same floor, and it will show itself at midnight within sight of the player that slays the final creature."

The dark blue and purple themed shinobi grinned behind his facemask. "This is why we of the Fūma clan are the only ones to have discovered it. All other fighters were driven to go higher and higher, to explore what this world has to offer. We stayed behind and explored what others looked over. Nine floors were cleared in the month we were given. Five times we defeated Managarmr. Our final attempt before the end of the month was against Teotihuacan, Empress of the Arachnids. We failed, but when we next face her it shall be with success."

I snorted and winked at the two ninja I met back on the second floor when I sent them the requests. "A shame I'm already with a group. If I wasn't I'd be highly tempted to try and join you."

"And which group is that, Miss Asasaki?" Shen asked kindly.

I tried to hide my flinch with a pained smile, internally screaming at the amount of respect I could hear in the prefix. "They call themselves Fūrinkazan. Samurai in training. Hence the whole 'you wish we were Iga nin'." I motioned towards Kotaru (who I had mistakenly thought Kotoru) and Isuke. "Sorry for any trouble that might have arose from that."

"The fault lies with me. In this new world I must be more forceful with my men. Regardless of our class or standing, we must all stand together, lest we fall against the forces that wish upon us doom."

For such a clichéd line, Shen delivered it incredibly tastefully. The image shattered when he turned to discipline two of his men, perhaps children, who found it tasteful to sing praises towards their leader.

"Miss Asasaki, will you be fine from here? My men and I must make our way back to «Town of Beginnings» and train on the creatures on the third floor as well as officialize our clan, though after your assistance we would not mind escorting you back to «Tolbana»."

"I'll be fine." I instinctively gave a small bow. "I'm pretty sure there's a group of teens who are going to meet up with me for material collection purposes in the forest. I might as well head to the nearby safe zone and catch a few winks before then."

"You are an incredibly strong woman, Miss Asasaki." He returned the bow, his fellow nin repeating the gesture a beat later. "I pray that we meet again."

"Until then, Shen." At my words the twelve multi-colored shinobi darted off. "Haa?" I looked around the clearing, my mind having trouble processing the speed at which they disappeared. "That was «Sprint», wasn't it?" I asked myself, recognizing their stances from the small preview I had of the skill.

Slowly I erupted in full body laughter, realizing that at the very least I came out of this experience with a group I would not mind hanging out with. "I can't wait to tell Klein about this." The laughter returned once more, the sound carrying me through the woods. "He's going to get a kick of out of this. Ninja vs Samurai." I shook my head and took a seat in the empty safe zone, composing a message to inform Keita of my location.

* * *

 _I'm actually a little excited from this point. It's all mostly my own path instead of working alongside canon._

 _Next chapter should be up October 6-7._


	15. 硬化 (Kōka)

_Whew. Talk about a crazy two weeks. Family visit, eight hour drives, interview for a job. I'm kind of short for my normal requirements, but if I tried to hit 16k I'd have to wait another week or so and that just felt wrong._

* * *

I stood up as Klein approached and patted myself down, dusting away the imaginary dust that had settled onto my clothing during my impromptu nap. "It's a shame we can't take a wagon over there," I commented. It was the day before christmas, and it was our hope that we would be able to finish up the last of the «Region Exploration» line before tomorrow afternoon.

Messages from some of Klein's friends on the fourth floor claimed there would be a combined party for both Christmas and New Year's. While it was hosted by the front lines out on the fourth floor, a handful of extra people who had participated in previous clearing efforts were being invited. The same was occurring in the other main cities as well, though for the regular players instead.

"It's not like we won't be hurting for supplies," he responded, face lighting up when he realized what I was referring to. "There's a blacksmith over there, remember? And if we start running low on potions we can always make a farming run over by the outpost." Klein fiddled with the straps of his new chestpiece. Through cor earned from quest rewards and metal ores from clearing the northern mines, the rest of Fūrinkazan had been able to purchase new equipment from some of the player smiths on this floor.

Unlike the NPC made armor that I had, player made gear was special in that it could be upgraded significantly more times. True, the starting stats were usually worse off than similarly leveled equipment from a store, but they would easily change once the gear hit the near guaranteed success rate of 4 attempts.

Sans Harry and Dale (who had had heavy metal armor made for them in days previous) and Choryu ('I think I'll stick to a speed build and keep using Leather'), the rest were like me and had made the change to «Light Metal Armor», their equipment various designs of scale and laminar equipment. I was different in that my armor was incredibly similar to my previous set, strips of metal that distinctly classified it as 'split mail' attached to the hardened leather.

"I guess that's true. I know you guys like to pay attention to the storyline, or at least Harry does, but are we really going to be paying attention to everything this time around? There's that party going on tomorrow, and we're probably going to have to do a bit of travelling." I leaned to the side and waved at the figures of Issin and Kunimitzz.

"Not as much as we usually do. Is what I'd like to say." Klein let out a long breath. "I talked with Mitsui a little bit before I got here. According to the most recent reports, the guards found a secret entrance that the goblins were using somewhere in some ruins close to the mountainside." The man leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Goblins, hidden ruins, the last part of a quest line. We'll have to take it slow. Plenty of oil for lanterns, exploration limited by whoever's willing to take point and however many potions we have. We'll probably have to take full advantage of my «Searching» and the speed you and Choryu can run at." He slumped over, giving a pained groan. "Dammit, this is starting to feel like a D&D session."

I chuckled. "At least we're a group of people that are used to working with each other and not a bunch of randoms." It wasn't too often, but on occasion there would be a group of people at previous bases who spent their off time running table top sessions. I had tried my hand at it enough times to get a good understanding of it but could never fully invest into the game, preferring to play simple party games, read, or watch movies with my companions.

"Yeah, that's true." Klein stepped away from the wall, putting on a broad smile as the rest of our group approached. "Alright, guys!" He started with a loud clap. "Today we'll be heading back to Horunka. Some extra guards Mitsui sent over there discovered some ruins that were hiding a secret entrance. Choryu, Asasaki, when we get in there we'll be relying on you two to keep note of any traps. Make sure to stay potted up at all times. Who knows what the monsters there have set up."

The first time Klein had gone over the plan at dinner, breakfast, and before heading out, I thought it extremely odd and redundant. The more he did it though, the more comforting it got. Instead of working with the unknown and potentially running to our doom, the repeated briefings turned all of our trips into field trips or simple hikes.

"Our travel formation will be with Harry and Dynamm in front. Issin and Kunimitzz will be behind them and if we have enough room to work in, Dale and myself will be between you four but if not then we'll be in the back.." The redhead nodded at me. "Asasaki, make sure Choryu's safe if any new monsters show up. Argo's books don't make any mention of this so we're going to need any information we can get." Under Klein's guidance, we all clapped a single time, the sound surprising the few people passing through the southern gate. "Let's have a good hunt, guys!"

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I flicked my sword out to the side, wiping its faces on the piece of cloth I had attached over my tassets. "All clear over here!" I called out. As much as they wished to watch the fabled Swordsmen fight, the guards here had been assigned by Mitsui to collect some additional resources from the local monsters and so it had fallen to us to secure the area.

#All rooms clean. Return to the main hall.#

I took my time to arrive, soaking in as much as I could of the crumbling fort. Once I had asked Mitsui to talk about the history of the region. Long ago, before the 'Great Separation' had confined these lands, the building here had been used for the center of advanced training for troops. Even though most of the stone had been reclaimed by nature, there was still a sense of wonder at the remains.

"Find anything special?" Harry asked. When nothing but negatives were given, the teen grunted, expanding one of his screens and allowing us to see the map. "We're here." He pointed at a small depression on the north western edge of the forest. "Which mean whatever's through this tunnel leads either to here," he circled the nearby mountain range with a finger, "Or leads back to the structures they found back at the plains." While the researchers had yet to figure out exactly what the odd black metallic bricks were, their current guess was that that specific section was a tunnel of some kind based on the dimensions.

Klein stepped over to a square piece of masonry that seemed marginally different from the rest of the floor. "Keep your potions on your quick access bars. We'll take this nice and slow. Asasaki, Choryu, guide us well." The 22 year old motioned for Dale to assist him with the stone plate, leveraging their weight under it by way of a long handled shovel.

Dirt showered off from the sides, a steep staircase that showed signs of recent use being revealed in the sunlight. "Ladies first." I gestured for Choryu to enter before, motioning at the lantern in his left hand with a finger.

"Such a gentleman," he countered good naturedly. "Give us ten minutes before following after us." The office worker stepped through the rotating circle of smokey runes, his body disappearing with every step.

"I'd say I'll save you guys a piece of the action, but that'd just mean we aren't doing our jobs." I winked and leapt down, grabbing onto the far ledge and swinging myself forward. The initial path of the dungeon was a somewhat thin hallway, barely wide enough for the two of us to walk side by side with what looked like carved stone pillars spaced evenly like the ribs of a beast.

"Looks like we won't be needed this, will we Miss Asasaki?" Choryu snuffed out his lantern and put it back into his inventory. Evenly spaced out between the arches were wrought iron torches, the nails in the attachment plates presumably inserted deep into the earth to keep them in place.

"I'm surprised this is all still standing. With how bad it was above, you'd think there'd be a lot more rubble here." I kicked at a stone and sent it harmlessly ahead of us several feet. "Let's take it slow for now. If you feel suspicious about anything, don't feel bad about voicing it. Who knows what sort of stuff is still active around here." I huffed, resting a hand on the butt of my sword. "God what I'd do for some silly string right now."

"Silly string?" Choryu echoed, following my lead a few paces behind.

"Those cans that fire out a string of foam when you push down on the button?" I explained, not sure if the question was due to translation issues or just pure inexperience."Travels pretty far out and it'll hang over just about anything it flies over. It's lightweight enough that it usually doesn't set off wires attached to traps. Sort of like a smoke or mist emitter for laser sensors that you'd see in a spy movie."

"Sounds like useful stuff. Were they cheap to get?"

"Fairly cheap, but we only ever got it in care packages or if we requested it from family. Could you imagine the looks we'd get if on official requisition forms we had 'forty cans of silly string' listed?" I barked. "Also a fun, if messy way to kill time." As time passed, I slowly decreased our pace to a dead stop, paranoia growing stronger with every step we took. Either the hall was completely untouched or the inhabitants were meticulous with their work; both options were rather distressing.

In the ensuing silence, Choryu took it upon himself to alleviate the one sided awkwardness.. "Miss Asasaki, if you don't mind me asking, did you ever make up with Klein and the others?"

"Something like that," I muttered, moving onto the ground to inspect the region above at foot level.

"I see. That's good. I didn't really understand what the issue was when it first happened, but then I remembered you come from a military background and that you're probably used to risking your life." Choryu laughed a bit nervously. "Still though. It was rather scary when I looked over and saw you fighting that monster all on your own."

I huffed and got to my feet. "It's not like that thing was much of an issue. Like most of the monsters we've seen, all of its moves were horribly telegraphed. The only challenge was figuring out exactly what its limits were." I jabbed a thumb down the path. "Looks like it's all clear for now. Until the scenery changes we probably don't need to worry about anything. Just to be safe though, keep around five feet, err, one and a half meters, between us, okay?"

Haru hesitantly agreed, deferring to my judgement. "Do you think we'll ever reach your level?" He asked after a time.

"If by level you mean combat capabilities, I'd say no," I responded, presuming he was referring to my usual behavior of gallivanting on my own while others stayed together. "Not unless you change your life and join the JSDF or something. I've been in the military for around nine years now. I've had martial arts lessons on and off since I was around 14, and then sparring with friends and cousins almost every week." I wiped away some of the dust covering a flat part of the wall, realizing the strange brick behind it matched the qualities of the material reported to be underneath the plains. "It's a bit strange to think that that building extends this far west," I muttered.

"Do you think this was something meant for the game?" Choryu looked away from his own observations on one of the torches, an oddly symmetrical pattern of bricks blossoming out from its base.

"Come again?" I asked, utterly confused as to what he meant.

"It feels like there's a lot of inconsistencies in this questline." Choryu tugged at the light source, giving it several tugs before giving up. "Things that only we can access, NPC's with conversational behaviors that go beyond what you'd normally expect. Mitsui said that they've been separated from their neighbors for at least generations now, didn't they? I just feels to me that part of what we're seeing was something suddenly thrown into this world for experimental tech purposes and not to try and tell a consistent story."

I stared at the office worker. "Choryu, I think that's the longest I've ever heard you speak before."

The man chuckled and looked at the ground. "I guess I'm just finally getting used to the idea that I'm actually in this world and not sitting safe behind a computer screen. Also, the others are faster than me when it comes to voicing our thoughts. What Harry, Issin, and Klein usually come up with are just about the same as mine." He looked back up and grinned sheepishly. "You all keep forgetting that I was a huge gamer back in my teen's. I might not be able to execute everything you talk about, but I can at least follow along."

I shook my head and smiled. "A fork in the road," I pointed out redundantly several minutes later. Path that continued straight ahead slowly reverted back to the more natural, worked appearance while the one that went to the right had a pile of rubble that seemed to have resulted from our side resting at its mouth, once hiding the reinforced brick tunnel behind. "Should we split up or wait for the others?"

"As much fun as it would be to go off and explore on our own, I think it would be best if we waited for the others and discussed what we should do." Choryu continued examining the two paths, looking closely at the mound of stone. "This used to be a stone door."

"Think you can figure out how long ago it got destroyed?"

"No. But it wasn't recent, I can tell you that much. The layers of dust don't look as disturbed on the other side as compared to ours."

I sat down and leaned against one of the stone pillars. "Feel free to keep checking everything out. I'm going to take a small nap while we wait."

"Didn't you just get up a few hours ago?"

I opened my eyes partway, bemusedly smiling at his expression. "Haru, we're in a dungeon, essentially behind enemy lines, and this is the last area we have to explore for the region so far. I'm sure there's going to be something spectacular happening at the end of all this, and I'm willing to be it's going to be combat. Besides. We haven't seen hide nor hair of monsters or even traps this entire time. We should be fine for now."

"I'll keep watch for now then," he uttered quietly.

 _Three cheers to me for teaching them how to be safe._

Some time later, before I could reach a proper trance, the sound of footsteps and conversation reached my ears. "Look, all I'm saying is, if you're not doing any contact then you're not actually having sex, you're masturbating."

A heavy sigh, one I attributed to Kunimitzz. "And as I've told you a dozen times before, it doesn't matter that you're not actually having contact with her. If you're doing it together, then it's sex."

I slowly opened my eyes, taking in the sight of the two arguing over some asinine thing. Beside them, the other four displaying various states of amusement and irritation

"Something wrong?" Klein slipped between his friends. Secure in the knowledge that it wasn't something serious, the two spear users continued their riveting discussion on the technicalities of interactive VR porn.

"The path splits." I let out a huff, doing my best to ignore the conversation. "We were thinking about exploring them on our own, but figured it would be better if we went as a group instead."

Klein gave me a grateful nod. "Any idea on what we should expect?"

"If we want to look for the goblins immediately, we should probably just go straight ahead." I stood up, idly noticing that none of us had a light source out. "If we go to the right then we'll probably end up discovering the forgotten constructs of an ancient civilization. That's how this sort of thing goes, isn't it? Ancient technology forgotten by all?" I tapped my foot against one of the tiles, a dull, muted sound resounding.

"The quest log still says to explore the region north west of Horunka. Whether we check out these ruins or not, I don't think we'll be effected much. Ancient ruins don't really seem to fit much with what we've done so far." Harry shuffled forward, purposely rattling his armor to drown out the more graphic descriptions Issin and Dale were giving about their experiences.

"If the entrance had a special area marker on it, there's a chance we won't be able to return here." Dynamm rolled his eyes at the two behind him, their voices rising in intensity. "Whichever path we take first, we should consider taking both before leaving."

"Hey guys, mind holding this off for another time?" Kunimitzz shot Issin an annoyed glared and moved closer, the fisher chuckling before doing the same. "We'll put it to a vote." Klein took a step back and partially held a hand up. "All in favor heading towards the ancient, high tech region?" Issin, Choryu, Harry, and I rose our hands. "Looks like it's settled then. Same formation as before. Give us a shout if anything happens."

I gave a lazy salute, leading my dagger using companion down the second path. "You know, part of me wants to say that this is something specifically meant for the game, but then I remember hearing about ancient civilization technology from that 'Breath of the Wild' installment on the Switch a couple years back. Wanna put a bet on it?" I dragged my finger along the wall, wondering whether the indents along the material was something more technological or if it was just the markings for cement.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Say… Ten thousand cor that whatever this is it's part of the lore built for this world and not something added to the game and never taken out like the Konami code or a weapons debug weapons cache?" It was a hefty amount that I doubted either of us had. "By the time we figure out what this place was meant to be, I'm sure we'll have gathered that much."

"That's quite a lot." Choryu stepped ahead of me, poorly singing one of this year's hit songs under his breath. "Deal."

I laughed quietly. As hard as it was on the ears, the sheer act brought back memories of long drives, both on duty and while on vacation. "I feel like I need to be inebriated if I'm going to enjoy your singing properly," I joked.

"Sorry. Want me to stop?"

"No, you're good. Makes me feel like I'm on a road trip and all our music players are bugged out." I grinned. "You know. Aside from the walking, the the odd black halls lit by fires that never seem to run out, and the suspicious lack of bodies, human or otherwise."

I stopped when we turned the corner, the hall widening to accommodate a pair of braziers on either side of twin doors. Carved from its stone faces, ten unique symbols climbed their way to the top in an alternating zig zag pattern. Of the three drawings, the bottom three were currently lit up. "Choryu I know I'm crazy, but imagine this, only around ten times bigger and at the top of a spiraling flight of stairs."

"Yeah, I see it too." The man sat on his rear, elbows resting on his knees. "All that walking for a great stone door that leads to an underground secret floor." He looked up at me, mirroring my grin from before. "I'm liking my odds."

Considering that the doors to the second floor had a single unified theme, it was safe to assume that beyond these doors lay an amalgamation of ten floors. "We probably shouldn't go in there," I said, sharing my thoughts.

"We shouldn't, but I think we need to." Choryu stepped closer to the door. With his hands in the gesture for his «Scan» ability, the office worker slowly worked his way up the images, uttering a sound of dissatisfaction at the end."Couldn't even get a name off them. It'll be dangerous, but we need to consider taking a peek at the very least. There's a chance we might find things that will only show on the upper floors. Having that extra advantage might help people out."

I grunted in agreement. "I wouldn't mind getting in some action. Fully complaining here; it's starting to get mind numbingly boring." I spun around, facing away from him. "Where's the action!?" I cried, raising my hands to the air. "The drama?! This is supposed to be the final part of this quest line! We should be fighting our way through a fortress, not skulking about like we're covert ops. It doesn't line up with the previous stuff we've done!"

"If you're really looking for drama you could always leave us and join Kirito and Asuna on the front lines. I'm sure you'll get your fill watching Kibaou and Lind argue over who's the prettiest." Haru pulled his book on monsters out from his inventory, slowly flipping through it.

I brought a finger to my lips, pretending to consider the option. While hanging around Kirito would have undoubtedly filled all my desires for action, but the fact remained that he was still a teenager. Fun for a time and in short doses, but if you wanted to coexist with them for any length of time you needed to take on the role of a mentor to fix issues related to their inexperience.

"Asasaki, that was a joke," he said suddenly.

"I know. But it does have merits. Honestly, if I didn't need to worry about Argo charging me an arm and a leg for it, I'd ask her to record some of the interactions those two groups had. Would probably make for great daytime television" My fingers lazed out, typing out a message for Klein. "And now, we wait." I slumped against a wall, slowly sliding down it while I reread the bonus effect of the cloak I had acquired a few nights ago.

#Increases Stealth and Agility by 10% while in wooded areas.#

Even without knowing what their ultimate objective was, that effect alone would be incredibly useful for a ninja. A shame though that I didn't have either of the relevant skills, though I did plan on acquiring them later on.

It was a few minutes later when Klein's voice interrupted my musings. "When you said you found a door to an underground floor I was expecting something bigger, but I can see the resemblance."

The leader of Fūrinkazan stopped a few paces from the door. With a satisfied nod to a question only he heard, he began speaking. "Calling it here, this is as far as we go." Against the lack of protests, the man waved his hands placatingly. "Now, now, children. There's eight different designs on there that I don't even remotely recognize. We haven't even seen what's on the third floor yet, and that tree doesn't look friendly. If we go through those doors we'll without a doubt be running into trouble."

"Should we at least take a look inside?" I found myself asking.

"If we even can." Harry gestured towards the three lit images. "Unless it's supposed to be a record of what we've done, odds are we'll have to clear the first ten floors before we'll be able to open it."

I pressed a hand against the door, frowning at the unexpected resistance. With an utter lack of give, it was more like pressing against a cliff face. "Nothing," I grumbled after a few more attempts.

"Let's head back to the other path then. Hopefully we can still access down here if we ever come back." Judgement passed, the seven of us followed Klein's lead back through the hall.

"Harry, could you give us a number crunch real quick on what our odds are for getting back in there?" I couldn't see his face from behind, but based off his tone alone I felt it safe to say he was wearing a complete shit eating grin.

"No, I refuse to participate in something so old." Harry took a heavy step, rattling his armor in protest. "But I couldn't say. Argo said there was nothing like the quest line we're doing back in the beta. There were individual things that were rather similar, but they were designed as stand alone things."

When the hall widened, giving way from worked halls to a more organic cave appearance, I signaled for Choryu to follow my lead, taking point for our group "Having never looked into game development or business management, how troublesome would it have been to change all that in the time between the beta and release?" Almost as soon as I finished speaking, Choryu responded.

"Very, unless they already had the coding in place. Between writing the code, implementing it, and debugging, it would've have been a lot of work. And that's not even considering how much the budget was for this game." Haru's pace slowly marginally as he stared up at the ceiling. "One hundred floors, graphic design, systems testing, story writing. The amount of work put into this world is just completely mind boggling. Full Dive technology isn't even that old either. It took years to make the transfer from 2D gaming to 3D, and even then the graphics were questionable when you look back at it. I don't even want to know how big the storage room is for all the hardware needed to run to game."

I snickered. "All I'm hearing is that I should go 'Wow, technology sure is amazing'." I hummed in thought. At this point the rocky tunnel had opened up into a cavern, wide enough that the eight of us could walk beside each other comfortably. At the end of it, a large wooden palisade was constructed. From this distance I could only make out the general shapes of humanoids patrolling at the top. I motioned for Choryu to wait for me, doubling back to cheerily walk alongside Klein. "Hey, wanna guess we we just saw?"

"Was it another fork in the road?" He asked despondently.

"Nope! It was a rock. A big one. Giant, colossal. About the same size as-" I cut myself off with a few coughs. While it was true I felt budding senses of camaraderie, I had to occasionally remind myself that these seven were not the same people I had spent several months in a war zone with. The jokes that I had grown accustomed to would never make the same amount of sense to them.

I waved off their concerns. "Only joking. It's a wooden fort about four stories in height. Open ground all the way towards it and there's a pretty big opening in the center." I motioned towards the gap when it came into view. "I'm pretty sure I could get over there safely, and with my «Acrobatics» skill that wall shouldn't pose a problem either."

Klein stared me down for several moments. "You know I don't like it when you go off and do things on your own."

I shrugged. "It's not like I need to be worried about anything. Between my levels and real life experience, I can handle myself." With begrudging acceptance, Klein motioned for Harry to take lead of the operation.

"Asasaki." I grunted in response, irked that I was to be first. "Go set up a distraction. Throw them down to the ground if you have to. We'll come in and clean everything up."

I drew my sword, holding it questioningly. When he confirmed my suspicion I twirled across my body, ending the flourish with my normal flick to the side. "Catch you in a bit." A single calming breath was the only warning I gave before breaking into a run. When horizontal turned to vertical, I took note of the minute sense of power coursing through my legs.

When the last few feet of the wooden pillars came into sight I hauled myself up and braced my feet awkwardly against the sides of the rounded spikes. Immediately within range were two lithe goblins armed with daggers and woven slings, small piles of stones gathered near by. The image was replicated at the three towers situated in the corners of the fort.

I leapt down and lashed out at the closest goblin, the tip of my sword gouging a red line across its neck. With a practised motion I grabbed the back of its head and brought it against my raised knee, kicking out with my opposite leg and launching it off the platform.

My head snapped forward courtesy of a fired stone. Silently the other goblin whipped out another projectile, the cherry sized object clinking off my armor alongside five percent of my health. Were it not for the knowledge that there were six other goblin ready to fire at me, I would have entertained the goblin's desire for a stare down. As it was, I bum rushed it unflinchingly, using the shoulder charge skill of «Barge». In the brief moment between my attack and the time it took for it to recover, I grabbed it by the front of its furred coat, sinking my blade into its side.

With a countering push and extraction, I brought my sword across its navel with a backhanded grip, charging half a step closer to deliver an elbow strike to an approximation of its solar plexus. As it reeled back, my left hand snaked out and grabbed the goblin by its right wrist, spinning it around me and throwing it off the edge.

Four stones pelted me in quick submission. Though they felt little more than weighty punches, the fact that I was now down a fourth of my max health needed to be accounted for. A sneer racing across my face. "What nuisances." I pulled on the not magic, goading my mind to push me faster than before as I skirted along the rock wall to the south western tower. Of the next round of stones only a single hit, the secondary goblin from my targeted group missing thanks to my mid air twirl.

I spun around twice, the first time sweeping the legs out from underneath an offending goblin with the second kicking it away as it fell. Stabbing my sword into the platform, I flipped over the monster, grabbing it with both hands and throwing it to the ground.

A sharp impact to the back of my head rewarded me for my efforts, taking down another eight percent. Growling, I shot forward and picked up my blade, turning my body perpendicular to my aggressor as I ran. Held by the center of my stomach, my enhanced weapon became enveloped by a rich blue, the coding of «Island Birth» aided by my own motions.

I twisted around and sprung out from my crouched position, united system and mind pulling the blade free from the monster's torso with a wet squelch I had never noticed before. With the post motion of the skill trapping me, a pair of pebbles were free to chip away another tenth of my health, the offending goblins winding up for yet another volley.

I hissed and rolled forward, leaping down to the third floor, uncaring of the single percent of damage I took. In the corner of my eye Klein and the others fought off the goblins that had surrounded them. Issin, Kunimitzz, and Dale freely abusing sword skills with their longer weapons while the others kept to the counters and ripostes I had suggested they incorporate into their fighting.

A salvo of stones snapped me from my thoughts, driving my back two steps. "Nearly done!" I yelled, running forward. Hyped on adrenaline, I let the tingling sensations course through my limbs, carrying me up the scaffolding of the north western tower. Seeing an out stretched limb reel back the other end of a sling, I kicked up and grabbed hold of a goblin's armor, yanking it back to fall to its doom.

The other screeched and leapt back, allowing me time to pull myself up. A manic gleam in its eyes, the yellow skinned beast dove forward and tackled me off the platform, arms wrapped around my torso.

My breath came out in what felt like an eternity. With my health under fifty percent, there was a very high chance that this fall would be fatal. I toss my weapon to the side, hoping that it would land away from my allies. With a grunt I reared back and slugged the goblin across the head, quickly repeating the action before positioning myself atop the beast.

The air in my lungs escaped in an instant. Instincts took over and I began beating the form beneath me senseless, my mind daring not to look at my health. Before the creature could shatter into data arms hooked underneath mine, pulling me away from the terrified beast.

"Asasaki, stop! That's enough!" Klein's voice strode over to me, striking a commanding figure I was both joyed and annoyed to see. "There's been a change of plans," he began, a pained look on his face. When I get him a raised brow, he sighed and continued. "Asasaki, no, Dawn. They surrendered. They can speak Japanese."

My face froze in a cheeky grin. Around me, I noticed the concerned and shocked appearances of my companions. "Oh." I gently shook out of the hold, reflexively giving Issin a nod. "Have they give any terms?" My eyes fell onto the goblin I had been attacking, the creature slowly crawling towards the rest of its companions in the center of the fort.

 _They don't normally show signs of damage._

 _ **They don't normally get thrown down four floors.**_

"Aside from a cessation in combat, no." Klein tore his gaze away from the eight remaining goblins, one of the more nimbler looking ones tending to the injured like a parent.

I slowly took a breath through my mouth, hand slowly tapping to withdraw a potion for each of the humanoids. "I need to reclaim my sword. We should see if they can use any restoratives." Issin quietly took away the potions, a grim look on his face.

I scurried up the wood frames, stopping on the third floor to examine the area.

 _These things can speak._

 _ **Shut up. Don't think about it. Save it for when we're out of hostile territory.**_

I downed one of the few potions I had left from Urbus, focusing on the bitter taste. In short order I reclaimed my partially degraded «Armor Splitter» and rejoined my companions in the center.

"The goblins can take potions," Klein whispered, his shivering arms shoved into his pockets.

"Klein, I'm probably going to have to take over here," I told him. "I know it's hard, but you need to figure out how we're going to all handle this." I glanced over at Issin and the others. Shell shocked would be an adequate description for their general appearance. "For now, just treat this like a quest. Put what just happened behind you, and focus on the now." I laid a hand on his shoulder, gently guiding his head with my other hand to meet my gaze.

"You helped me get out of my funk. Now let me help you." I smiled softly when he nodded. Searching within me for my leader persona, I cleared my throat when I approached the prisoners. "Who's in charge here?" I asked.

The goblin that had been checking on the others from before rose, his armor and clothing greater in quality than the others. "This Tuukaan leads This Shukechuun force." My mouth twitched at sound, his voice containing a hoarseness normally attributed to a lifetime of proximity to smoke. "This One brings Humans to High Leader. Humans no harm Goblins."

I looked at each of my companions, taking in their appearances once more before doing the same to the goblins. "You've seen our strength. What we can do." The situation was already FUBAR. Reinforcing the show of force wouldn't necessarily be a poor decision as opposed to making a complete reversal on what had just happened. "We'll see your Leader. We won't harm you. In exchange you give me your word, on your honor, that you will do nothing that will harm us in return."

The goblin nodded. "This One gives word."

I raised a hand towards the others, gesturing for them to move into certain positions. "You'll be going ahead," I told the humanoids. "We'll be following behind." I jerked my head towards Dynamm and Harry, repeating the motion for them to stand by my side.

"Asasaki, this is a bad idea," Harry whispered.

I watched the goblins rise, the one presumably named Tuukaan taking the lead. "They surrendered, they can speak, and this is the final quest," I returned. "We might as well hear them out. And besides." I quietly downed another potion, giving a long sigh at my yellow bar. "We're all level 16 and above. All our equipment is upgraded, and we all know how to work together as both a large group and individual units. It'll be a pain, but if anything goes wrong we'll be able to make it out."

For several tense minutes Tuukaan led us through a winding trail, shouting and waving something at the guards situated at the handful of checkpoints along the cave system before motioning for us to go through. The entire time I kept sneaking looks at my companions, giving them reassuring smiles until their expressions changed.

Eventually we stopped at curtain of beads obscuring a mass of figures. "Humans stay here. This One tells High Leader." Without another word the goblins shambled through the curtain, each one pausing a brief moment when they stepped on a decorated mat two paces from the entryway.

I bit back my sarcastic comment, well aware that tact would be the better option for the time being. "Guys, just focus on the quest for now. When we get back to Tolbana we can talk about this all you want, but I need you all to be paying attention." In their own way, each of them slowly gained a hint of their usual expressions, tinted by a worried crinkle or wider than normal appearance.

"High Leader ready. Come." The green skinned soldier (which I presumed to be the same) led us into the hall, stone pillars lining the path up to a carved throne upon which a massive, green-yellow skinned creature sat. Around the hall a host of goblins in varying degrees of dress stood, on both the bottom floor and carved balconies. It felt to me that if we hadn't interrupted a meeting then nearly the whole colony of goblins had appeared to observed us.

A booming voice bounced around the room. "This One welcomes you." Heavy and deep, the furred and semi-plated behemoth stood and stepped towards us, small vibrations making themselves known in my legs with each step. "This One's name is Gherlec. This One is grateful Honoured Swordsman grace us with their presence." The giant crossed an arm over its chest and gave a light bow, keeping its gaze on us.

I took a slow breath, doing my best not to show any reaction to the sounds of shuffling behind me.

 _It's just a nearly eighteen foot tall creature. They act like they're never seen a haul truck before._

"The honor is ours, High Leader Gherlec." I reciprocated the bow, sans the crossed arm. "So that we may reach an understanding, might we know as to why you have requested us here?" My mind raced. Up until this point I had been expecting a trap. With such a cordial greeting though, the idea that this was supposed to be a negotiation of some kind was highly promising.

"This One wishes to fix the misunderstanding of our actions. Those that This One has sent to explore the lands the humans have claimed were not meant to incite battle. They were only to collect and explore." The hulk-esque growled softly. As soft of a creature of his size could manage anyway. It still ended up sounding like the engine of a stereotypical high powered Harley.

"This One regrets that This One's troops had been misguided in their beliefs. It was never the intent of This Shukechuun to fight against Humans. This One's tribe has spent too long oppressed to wage war against such experienced foes."

I licked the back of my teeth. "The blame is mutual, High Leader. We should have attempted diplomacy first instead of responding in kind to the violence."

"This One is glad there are such understanding beings amongst your kind. Though influenced by past actions, This One hopes Honoured Swordsmen would be willing to aid." His helmeted face gained a look of sorrow. "For generations, This One's tribe has been forced to create with itself. The young of This Shukechuun are not fit to carry on the Legacy. The Elders and This One decided time ago that This Tribe must find our Lost Kin in the «Forgotten Lands»."

Gherlec stepped over to one of the balconies, reaching up and taking one of the goblins into his hands. "Moons ago, This One sent scouts to explore all the land. All come back with words of earth giving to endless sky. And so This One and This Ol'daar thought to ascend the the Tower. But This One's tribe could not do it, not as they are now."

The behemoth lowered his hands, revealing a somewhat disfigured goblin. It could walk and move about, but unlike its older brethren who appeared like earth skinned and athletic humans, this one seemed much more like the stereotypical hunchbacked and sickly monster of common tales.

I stepped forward, something tugging at my emotions. Behind me the men were whispering furtively, their voices a mix of harsh consonants and slurred words. "Is there something we can do to help?" My eyes flickered towards the barely visible symbol above his head, the indicator changing from a bright yellow question mark to a neon green exclamation point before slowly fading to a translucent, yellow indicator tinted by the occasional streak of dark purple.

"This One would be pleased if Honoured Swordsmen would accompany This Tribe's warriors through the Tower. When scouts were sent, they were repelled by this tribe's former allies, the Kobolds." Gherlec brought the goblin child back up to the balcony. "This One would be joyed if metal could be supplied for This Shukechuun as well."

 _I get the sense Mitsui isn't going to be happy about this._

"We'll see what we can do. Do you already have your warriors chosen?" I spared a glance behind, giving an assuaging smile to my companions. When I turned back around four goblins stood before us, each armed significantly more than anything we've seen before

"These are among strongest of This Shukechuun. They are Tarthuul, Rhaagaar, Rhaan, and Tuukaan." As each one was named, they brought their right arm across their chest. "They are strong, but they are not experienced in ways of war. This One humbly requests Honoured Swordsmen teach them in the ways of the world."

I let out a slow breath, several notches lower than what would be required for a whistle, when I realized the last goblin was the very same one who's fort we had assaulted. "We accept your requests, High Leader Gherlec." The others gave their consent, a heartbreaking apathy washing over my back. "It may take some time to inform those in charge of the region what's going on. Do you have a place where were can meet them when we are ready?"

"There are tunnels in the far north These Ol'dekhaan can rest in. When Honoured Swordsmen are ready, create a fire where our entrance was made. These Warriors will find the sign and meet at night." Gherlec motioned to the side and proceeded to tap a clay plate at his side, decorated with the same symbol on the mat we had crossed. "Honoured Swordsmen must wear these while travelling through our homes. This Shukechuun respects all who bear This One's symbol."

Another goblin stepped forward and held out a small, pentagonal piece of painted clay attached to a length of twine for each of us to take. Despite its larger size, it was notable lighter than the metallic sigil Ferghus had given us.

"Thank you, High Leader." Klein stepped forward suddenly, giving a slightly deeper bow than the one I had given. "We shall contact your men when all has been prepared." Part of me worried that the difference in gestures might be interpreted as something else, but I did my best to silence those fears. Motioning for me to follow along, Klein took three steps back before turning around. I did the same, though without the short retreat. Slowly we filed through the curtain of glass and bone fragments, travelling back the way we came in silence.

"Extra Skill: Contract." I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Do you think this means we won't be able to get a skill once we hit level 20?" Issin folded an arm behind his head, lapping at his interface with his left. Those of us with small arms had sheathed our weapons before entering the hall, the other three forced to dismiss them to their inventory.

With the dam broken, the men of Fūrinkazan began discussing what had just occurred. "Asasaki, I-" Klein inhaled deeply, bringing a hand to his face. "Thank you," he breathed.

I smirked gently, hopping forward a few steps to nudge him aside with my hip. "So me being the most amazing person that I am and having messed with my settings to remove most of my HUD and UI notifications to make this place as realistic as possible, what did I miss?" I pointedly ignored the red box sitting in the lower right corner of my event log. Finding out what had happened would be easy, but I needed to keep everyone away from their thoughts until we were back in Tolbana.

"We have a new quest line called «Reuniting the Tribes»," Dale supplied, "as well as an Extra Skill called «Contract». We also got a hefty amount of experience but no cor to speak of." As we approached one of the three checkpoints, I bared the symbol of a segmented crook intersected by a slim black dagger part way up the handle. After a few moments of scrutiny, the goblins begrudgingly let us go through, all eyes tracking our passage.

"The skill makes mention of being able to party up with a willing NPC, though they need to have a unique name as well as be willing to be brought into your group. The rest of the descriptions don't say more than that."

I twirled around to face Harry, mindful of my backwards steps so I didn't fall. "What sort of limits are there?"

 _Focus on the information. You can start freaking out later once you get everything sorted._

"It works like all the other skills," the warhammer user said. "Every fifty levels or so we should get access to a mod. There's one for gaining another Contract slot, one for increased experience rate, and a handful for stat buffs. They're all support oriented. Nothing for us personally."

"I'm putting this out there right now. I'm making myself a harem."

"One, I don't think the system will let you do that, Issin. Two, if you don't have at least two guys on your team if you decide to keep using this skill I'm going to force you to my level of fitness. Don't think I won't track you down." I grinned evilly.

"Message received!" he said hastily. "No abusing the Developer's pride and joy for unintended purposes."

I huffed and lazily flashed my badge once again. "It's more that the NPC's automatically have their moral code option permanently turned to 'On' and if you try anything with them you'll find yourself instantly in the «Black Iron Prison». Also, polygamous relationships like that tend to be more work than they're worth in the long run." I mentally reviewed what I said when they fell silent.

 _You know what? Sure, why not. Let them think what they want._

I stopped when we reached approximately halfway down the tunnel to the last checkpoint. "Hey guys?" I asked, not looking at them. "We need to talk about what happened." I turned around. "If you don't want to vocalize your thoughts just yet that fine, but whether anybody says anything or not, I'm going to try and set things in perspective here."

Issin laughed awkwardly. "Kayaba's a serious piece of shit, isn't he?" The spear user rubbed his neck, staring at one of the torches embedded in the wall. "I mean, I know there's supposed to be elves up on the third floor, but to design the goblins to speak and fight like that?" His gaze turned downward, as did most of the others. "That's just wrong."

"We were wrong," I said immediately, finger the handle of my sword. "Like I said back in that Hall. We should have tried diplomacy. On top of being a completely immersive game it's safe to assume Kayaba, or whoever was in charge of designing these quests and NPC's, wanted us to have to make choices and decisions."

I let go of my blade, moving my hand to my hip. "Maybe we set some standards. We don't fight unless they engage first. We don't fight humanoid enemies. If we do end up fighting humanoids, we work to subdue them instead of killing." I glanced over at near synchronised flinch.

"Look," I paused.

 _ **Just say it. There's no point in coddling them.**_

"Yes, we ended some lives. Yes, they weren't human lives." My hand moved back to my sword, thumb caressing the butt. "With the way this game is designed, we're going to have to get used to it. Especially if we're looking to get involved with quests. If we just grind monsters, we don't need to associate any stories to them. They're just shadows and shapes, nothing more than statistics."

I gave Harry a long, pitying look. "If we spend time and learn about their struggles, their lives, the story behind why they're here, if they ever die it's only going to lead to hardship." My lip tugged into small smile. "But that's what's nice about it. It gives us a reason to fight, to pick sides." I scoffed and shoved my hands into my pockets. "Sorry. I meant to try and lift our spirits, not but a damper on them." I turned back around and stretched my arms above my head, resting them across my neck when I finished.

"How do you do it?"

I tilted my head and made a questioning sound.

"How do you forget what you did? Their faces, their screams."

I smiled grimly, closing my eyes. "You don't. They never go away. They should /never/ go away. If they ever fully go away, you've become a monster. The best you can hope for is that you make peace with your actions as soon as possible. And to live for the lives you ended. Whatever their dreams were, whatever their aspirations were. You just have to live better for their sake. There's nothing else you can do." I set off at a slow pace, unsure as to whether or not the clinical appearance Harry was sporting was something I needed to be concerned about.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I gently blew on the cup of «Shrouded Rose Tea», savoring the bittersweet fragrance suffusing the room. "Did you guys have a safe trip?" On the other couch, Mitsui slowly stirred her own up, having added a spoonful of honey. Beside me, Klein and Harry handled their drinks in their own way, one significantly more subdued than the other.

With a humorless laugh, I shrugged. "Nobody got significantly hurt, if that's what you mean." I purposely took a long sip, ignoring the look our armorless tank gave me. "We found some interesting stuff though." If we hadn't met the guards in Horunka I would have engaged in some talk about how their mission had fared, nerves fraying at the somewhat sensitive topic of the hidden tunnel.

"Miss Asasaki, you're Swordsmen who've traveled to the lands beyond and back. Anything you share with me will be interesting." The businesswoman's words brought forth a bark of laughter from me.

"That's true." I swirled the cup around, staring at the pieces of flora within. "First and foremost, those goblin incursions were an accident." Klein bent over suddenly, thumping his chest as he broke into a coughing fit. "That hidden entrance the guards found over by the old ruins? Turns out it let to a secret tunnel that split into two paths. The first we suspect leads to that odd material the researchers found over in the fields while the second lead directly to the goblin's lair. Massive place, that. We spent some time checking our maps before coming over here, and it seems like they dug their homes out underneath the western mountains."

"Turns out that their leader, Gherlec, was just trying to find places they could get resources from. I guess at some point his scouts got it in their head that they weren't supposed to be seen and started scaring off or killing people. There weren't any reports of killings, right?"

Mitsui shook her head. "Once we started getting reports of monster activity we pulled back our workers."

"That's good." I materialized my «Sigil of the Shukechuun» and placed it on the table, positioning it so Mitsui could easily see symbol painted upon it. "I ended up agreeing for our group to operate as ambassadors for them." My fellow sister frowned. "They didn't ask for much. Only that we assist some of their warriors up the Tower to the north, and potentially see if your guild would be willing to part with some supplies for them. They're trying to reestablish contact with their own lost tribe. The only thing I can promise from their end right now is that you won't be seeing much of any of their presence in these lands anymore. I guess they don't have enough forces anymore to keep gathering."

The red haired female sipped at her tea, taking a moment to compose herself. "That's quite the interesting tale. Especially considering that you offered to escort myself through the tower not that long ago."

I felt Klein turn towards me, the suddenness making me impose a gobsmacked expression on his face. "It's a little hard for me to believe too. All previous goblins we fought with just immediately went into combat or only gave guttural sounds. A while back they learned how to speak Japanese, but since they rarely have to use it their articulation and speech patterns are a little…"

"Archaic?" Harry suggested. Ordinarily it would only have been myself here, Klein if he truly felt the need. The shield user had tagged along, claiming that he wanted to see how the story would progress in person.

"Yeah. Odd sounding." I ignored Harry's complaint on how I altered his wording. "Considering that they're not here to say anything, and that Gherlec is actually stupidly big, I'll say it in their place. The tribe of the Shukechuun expresses their deepest apologies for how things have turned out. They wish for nothing more than to put this incident behind them and hopefully to simply continue on their way." I closed my eyes and gave a partial, seated bow.

"Since no casualties came from it, the Shukechuun are forgiven." Mitsui took another sip, successfully hiding any confusion regarding the pronunciation. "Did they say where they would be transporting their troop through and how many?"

"Four warriors." Klein recovered, a facsimile of his usual smile adorning his face. "They're waiting towards the end of one of the northern mines. They're just waiting for a signal from us before we head up through the Tower."

"Miss Asasaki." Mitsui's voice cut through the lull. An odd feeling settled over me. In her voice there was something subtly wrong, as if the emphasis from the words of normal NPC's had transcended mere imaginings and became physical. "In regards to the offer from before, would you still be willing to accompany me to the lands beyond?" It felt so terribly wrong to hear that tone in her voice, but it was so faint I thought it was only my imagination. "Regardless of your decision, I still plan on bringing my own retinue, but with your assistance we wouldn't need to worry about leaving this region unprotected."

I forced a smile, driving out the fears of her dulcet voice. "We'd be honored to, Lady Mitsui." I paused, realizing a small issue. "How long will you need in order to leave?"

"We can be ready by tomorrow morning. I'll send messengers out to my personal guards to finish their preparations."

In the corner of my eyes, the status windows of my three party members disappeared. "You should try forming a «Contract» with her," Harry whispered.

"Lady Mitsui, there was something else we found in those tunnels," I said slowly. "It was after we met the Goblin leader. We don't know exactly what going through this will entail, if anything will even change, or anything really." I tapped one of the buttons on the skill page, moving my left hand to grab hold of the roll of parchment and quill that would appear.

"It's a special ability of sorts," I explained, placing it down for her to see. "It binds me and another being together. In exchange for protection, teaching, and whatever else is required, I can bestow some of the abilities we ourselves have access to." My chest trembled. I desperately hoped my voiced stayed firm.

I didn't want to think of Mitsui as an NPC. I didn't want her to be a construct of 1's and 0's. I didn't want to believe that somebody I found myself deeply caring for and so desperately wanted to help was pure fiction.

"What sort of abilities?" She questioned.

"The ability to join her party, for starters. That means we can see the numerical value of your physical abilities. The same values that we see for ourselves. We don't know if that means you can adjust them the same way we can, or if you'll just continue growing the way you always do." Klein leaned forward, his form obscured by a shock of disobedient strands.

"If you get in danger, we can see it for ourselves. Whoever else you sign that contract with will be able to have limited contact with you in certain places. We think." He let out a forceful huff of air. "We also don't know how to break the «Contract» either, or if it can even be broken at all."

Mitsui stared at the paper for several seconds before responding. "I'll do it." The woman leaned over, eyes scanning over its words. "I trust you, Miss Asasaki." She gave me a brief smile. "You've been nothing but helpful and upfront with me throughout this whole ordeal. If you think me entering this «Contract» with you is a good idea, then I'll take you up on your judgement."

 _No I haven't. There's still so much you don't know. So much I haven't told you._

I took a deep breath. "The moment you sign that, I'll have access to inviting you to my «Party». We don't know anything that will happen after that. We'd like it if you could help us record the process for any future participants."

"Of course." Mitsui smiled once again, her hand dancing along the bottom of the page.

The previously grayed out 'avaliable members' on the skill tab gained colored, joining its brethren on the front row. When I tapped on it a window opened to the side, showing the name and portrait of 'Asuka Mitsui'. "Let me know if anything happens." I continued tapping on her profile, skimming over the information until I came across the button to invite her to a party.

The merchant blinked owlishly. "Such a odd thing," she mumbled, her eyes gaining a far off look. Underneath my own status window in the upper left of my vision, Mitsui's health pars suddenly appeared, her full name displayed with a degree symbol attached at the end.

"What happened?" Harry leaned forward, his figure filling up my right peripheral.

"There was a voice in my head. It sounded so warm and fatherly. It asked me if I wished to enter a party." Asuka poured herself another cup, holding the warm drink in her hands comfortingly.

"Well, that's exactly what happened. I'm guessing you said yes?" I asked in consideration. Alongside the button for 'Party', I could also take a look at her equipment (several items of which were grayed out), detailed information on her stats, and a short entry about her.

The woman nodded, taking a slow sip from the drink every so often.

"Chekhov's Gun," Harry stated. At our confused look (excluding Klein, whose head had dropped at the words), he began explaining, "At some point it's going to be necessary to have an NPC, someone who isn't a 'Swordsman', in order to complete a quest. Choryu was right. We're working with something highly advanced. They wouldn't just throw it in for a simple test. If they went this far, they would have gone all the way and made the most of it."

I shifted, worriedly watching Mitsui's face. Aside from the few instances where her voice seemed a little flatter than normal, she still seemed to me incredibly human, laughing along with the few jokes I shared and giving me advice to the best of her ability. Having Harry accidentally flaunt her status of a computer program, when I had been so careful to avoid, was gut wrenching.

"Does Mitsui have a level listed anywhere, Asasaki?"

"She's listed as being level 12." I met eyes with the other woman, giving a soft smile. "If she gains experience like we do, I don't mind taking the hit if I'm needed to Party with others." I intentionally put emphasis on the word of Mitsui's benefit, pushing down the fears and concerns that talking about game mechanics would break her in a way I wasn't prepared for.

"See if you can even party up with others. I just dropped out." Upon Harry's request I sent him an invite, checking the various settings I had access to as party leader when his window appeared.

"Looks like I can still change everything. As far as the party system goes, she's mostly considered another Swordsman. Items and Cor are stuck at 'Last Hit' for her though, even though I can change everything else for us freely."

"Sorry, Lady Mitsui. I know this must all sound confusing to you. Feel free to ask me anything." I turned to look at Klein and Asuka, a bit of concern flashing through my mind as to whether Klein was being nice to be nice or to try and get into her good graces as he'd done a few times whenever we came across females players in our free time.

"It's almost a bit like Pokémon or considering the setting, perhaps Fire Emblem." I gave Harry a startled look. "I know Klein and the others constantly talked about how I'm focused on my studies and only ever play with them on the weekends, but I still had time during the weekdays to play other things too."

I gave a quiet apology. I'd been failing as a friend. Part of me wanted to use the excuse of social taboos being in place, but it was exactly that. An excuse. There was no reason for me to try and ignore the past each of my companions had. If I didn't learn about them, there would be no way I could properly communicate with them in a stressful situation.

"We'll need to look into whether or not an NPC who's formed a Contract can use other things like portals." A muted tapping sound began, one of Harry's tell that he was thinking heavily on something. "At most we can get three other people from Lady Mitsui's side. There's also the four Goblins we have to think about." He grunted, shifting away to stare at the wall.

"We'll need to think about sending in an advance group to clear the way. At her level, her stats should be fine, but I'd rather not risk it. At the very least, we'll need to be cautious on the upper levels of the Tower." Harry's frame collapsed, the teen resting his head in his head. "This is turning out to be more work than I expected." I cautiously rubbed his back, not sure if I was going past my bounds.

"If we can only bring along three people with me, then that's fine. At most I need two, but a third would be nice." Mitsui smiled, the professional joy in her face having regained a hint of her normal exuberance. "It'll be strange taking them away from their homes for so long, but I don't think Captain Yamaguchi will be terribly upset. Excuse me one moment." The woman collected all of our plates and slipped into the back room, the door closing behind her silently.

I scooted back in my seat and slouched over. Even beyond the whole soldier-civilian thing I had with the rest of Fūrinkazan, I felt an incredible divide between us. Perhaps it was just how much free time I spent with Mitsui, or that having almost regularly exposed myself to 'normal' life whenever I could meant I was more sensitive to minute differences.

"Klein, will you be holding onto this skill if it turns out that we won't be getting an extra slot when we hit level 20?" Harry walked around the room, closely examining the weapons on the wall.

"I'm not sure. The quests that this feels like it's going to be used for seem like they're going to be very specific. Plus, it's just another hassle to deal with in regards to juggling around resources."

I forced myself to breath slowly. There was absolutely no reason to be mad. They just simply didn't know or suspect the things I did. It was only natural for them to feel this way. To treat the lives that came before us as nothing more than optional background information.

"I suppose It will just be Asasaki and myself who focus on this quest line then." I imagined he turned to gaze at me. "Will you be helping me out with this?" I could only nod. "I think Kunimitzz and maybe Choryu might join us as well. They seem like they weren't as effected by the idea that we're going to be facing monsters that are so life like."

"We'll see how things go. At the very least, we'll stay with you until you can unlock the first mod and sign a contract with the NPC's we'll be working with. Hey, Asasaki? What sort of rewards do you think we'll get out of this?"

I took a moment before responding to Klein, no longer able to trust my judgement on the forced enthusiasm I thought I heard. "Maybe unit related skills or equipment and possibly large amounts of experience whenever a condition is met," I rattled off.

"Unit specific skills sound pretty fun." Klein sat up, resting his knuckles on his knees. "Hey, what if we gain access to things the higher level our contracts our? Or maybe the more of a specific type we have the more things we can access?"

"Guess we'll just have to stick with this until we can figure it out." Harry plopped down beside me. "What worries me is the idea that we're the only players who have access to this skill. You hear how much flak the Beta testers get. Imagine if word got out that there's something that only we can use?"

"I'm sure we'll find a quest somewhere else that allows others access to the skill." I stood up and stretched, resolving to let my current issues simply play out. "Kayaba's a sociopath, not an ass."

"Who's Kayaba?" I flinched, hiding the motion by rubbing my neck. Mitsui tucked her skirt underneath her legs before sitting down.

"The person responsible for us being here. It's a love, mostly hate relationship," I said immediately, putting on an ambivalent smile.

"Was this not something you volunteered for?" Mitsui cocked her head slightly.

"It was, but it wasn't what we were expecting." The scruffy curved blade user scratched his chin.

"We thought this was going to be something for our entertainment. It still is for the most part, but we were supposed to be protected from death."

I shifted at Harry's words. "Most of the Swordsmen currently in this world never got trained for proper combat. We have concepts, and the inherant knowledge we have helps us through a lot, but there's only so much you can do with just theory."

"But why would someone do that?" She frowned, blinking several times as she processed the information.

Klein folded his arms and stared at the ceiling. "Kayaba fancied himself a god. His parting words were how he had succesfully created a world of his own before leaving us to our fates."

I nodded. "Most people are lingering in the Black Iron Kingdom and Urbus, that's the region above us. The bravest and most determined of us are out on the third floor. I think the main city there is Zumfut?" I looked to Klein for confirmation. "If we didn't feel our efforts would be better spent assiting you, our group would probably be there as well."

Mitsui stood and pulled out a sizeable book, searching through it rapidly. "You mentioned that place before, I believe. When I asked you about your weapon?" She placed the book on the table, allowing us to see the map that sprawled across its pages. "Is this the same region?"

I tapped over to the incomplete map info for the second floor, comparing it to the seperated picture. "The map is bigger than what we saw, but that's around the same."

"Lots of cayons, caverns, caves, mountains with oases tucked away towards their peaks, does that sound about right?"

"Frighteningly accurate," Klein muttered

"The Mitsui Trading Guild once traveled through this region," she explained. "Materials and seeds from the Black Iron Kingdom were moved to the Kingdom of Selmburg in exchange for textiles and livestock. My ancestors wrote very little of it since the land held nothing of much value to us, but they recorded the terrain as a precaution."

"What was it that you referred to those places as? The Lands Beyond?" I pursed my lips, wanting to double check for the benefit of my allies. "Where did that term originate from?"

"They're the lands that are lost to us. We don't know where they went or what happened. All that surrounds us if we go far enough out is endless sky." I coughed in embarssment, realising how self explanatory it was. Asuka gained a thoughtful expression. "But I wonder how many kingdoms were taken by the Seperation and how many were left behind."

"We'll go with you as far as you want, Lady Mitsui." Harry nodded resolutely. "You can count on us."

"Yeah. You have our word as both Swordsmen and Samurai." Klein pumped an arm, grinning in the face of Mitsui's lost expression.

"Really, Klein? Samurai? We don't even look the part yet."

"Hey, we will! There's bound to be a floor that has the equipment for it!"

"Miss Asaski, I feel as if there is a large amount of information I need to learn about if I'm going to continue spending time around you."

I chuckled at her wry expression. "Maybe I can explain while we travel. We have our own preparations to make as well."

She nodded idly. "Shall we meet at the North gate then come sunrise?"

I whistled at Klein and Harry, breaking them from their discussion. "Sunrise tomorrow, North gate."

"May the Gods smile upon our travels."

I smiled and gave a curt nod before exiting, internally surprised at the expression. Behind me two pairs of footsteps followed, eventually melding into the same cadence as my own.

"Why Sunrise though?" Klein complained, an over dramatic choking sob sounding out.

"It's something they're used to. Besides, it's not even late afternoon for us. I'm sure you'll be able get enough sleep. I can always wake you up if needed."

"Oh god, please no." Scruffles shot back up, his eyes wide. "I had enough of that the first month, I don't need that again."

"Better set up some alarms then," I sung. As we passed the guard in the foyer I repeated my normal good bye to him, thankful for the chance to keep up the habit. I pushed the door open, uncaring of the interface that showed up in the brief moment before contact. A blinding beam of artificial sun danced across my vision, slowly becoming bearable after I raised a hand to shield myself. "Get every one to do another round of check ups," I said. "Tomorrow's going to be another long day."

"What about you?" Klein walked beside me, Harry's lighter footsteps behind.

"I'm going to bring Choryu and maybe Issin along to let the goblins know we're ready." I leaned on the railing, looking out over the smoke stacks and miniscule figures making their way around the streets. "We might need to send some others to go fetch them in the morning though, especially since I'll need to be with Mitsui."

"Bring Dynamm with you when you go," Harry commented. "If you're going to go out at night you'll need the extra body."

I grunted my understanding, continuing to look over the city as they walked off.

 _Was there really an issue regarding the humanity of those goblins or was I just imagining it?_

 _ **Assume imagining. This is just a game after all, no matter how much you wish otherwise.**_

I stepped onto the handrail, taking a deep breath. "Kayaba, wherever you are, I hope you're getting good data. You're putting a bunch of innocents though a bunch of shit they never should have experienced."

 _Out… 2… 3…_

 _ **4.**_

* * *

 _Behind the scenes, I just spent the better part of an hour trying to get this uploaded. Side note, doing it from mobile is drive, save as: odt, desktop version of ff. I'm aware there's a publish feature on the app but it doesn't show or keep my borders or font modifications._

 _Next chapter slated for October 20-21st. Failing that, expect the following weekend._


	16. Dissonance

_The initial edits got done by Thursday evening, and by Friday evening I had about one or two more passes done for proofing purposes. Still don't feel like I got everything. I think so long as I get my Duality chapter done on time, Saturday's is going to be spend on a Pokédex anthology as well as going back from the start of chapter 1 and fixing continuity errors (looking at you, interface line from the Interlude!) as well as keeping notes on things (like the fact that Asasaki was_ probably _the first person to ask Hilde about her speech patterns and general appearance)._

 _Oh, and remember that whole 'Stream of Consciousness' thing I talked about towards the beginning? That still happens, but only for each specific chapter and what occurs. I accidentally spent an hour or so outlining a general idea for what I want from each section of Aincrad and I tell you what, it's going to be just grand. No spoilers though, that's just not fun._

* * *

"It's so beautiful…" Mitsui Asuka's voice carried on the wind, the woman expressing more than enough awe for all of us.

"They call this a desert, don't they?" To her right, the forty-odd beast of a man named Yamaguchi took in the landscape of the second floor, his chiseled form a contender for Agil's appearance.

The somewhat frail scholar that was Mitsui's primary assistant cleared his throat. "Actually, I think this specific region would be better called a savanna or a mesa, based on appearances."

"Savannas actually have trees, and mesa refers specifically to the flat topped sections of earth. Desert would be the safest bet." I took a step back and stretched my arms out before silently heading down.

"Hey, Asasaki, wait up!" Issin quickly jogged a few steps to catch up to me, resting a hand on my shoulder. "This is the first time they've seen something other than greenery, give them a chance to enjoy it, yeah?"

"Issin, I've dealt with deserts for the past seven years. Returning back here, as nice as it is to look at, just brings back painful memories." A shrug. "No need to worry about me though, I'll just wait at the bottom where I'm not forced to look at endless sand and rocks. Hopefully something will spawn and keep me company." I raised a hand in dismissal, taking each step at a measured pace.

Mitsui and her two guards had given an extremely good showing during our climb up the Tower. Even though they didn't have access to any enhanced abilities, the twenty something years of experience each of them had were more than enough to out maneuver any of the kobolds that dared approach them.

The goblins that accompanied Klein, Kunimitzz, Dale, and Dynamm were much the same, though radically different in their approach. Where the humans presented a unified front, tactically backing each other up with every strike, the goblins fought with vicious zeal, teamwork only occurring by what seemed to be lucky positioning instead of actual strategy.

It was of course nothing but an fallacy. So sure of their skill and knowledge of each other, the axe wielding berserker Rhaagaar and dagger using assassin Tarthuul readily committed to their assaults, Rhaan's war hawk and Tuukaan's sling countering any attempts on their weak spots.

For the much of the trip through the Tower, our fellow NPC party members had demanded we allow them to fight against the dangers we came up against. Fighting against each other had only done so much; by throwing themselves against foes they had never encountered before they would be able to learn much more than they could have ever dreamed about.

 _December 25th._

I sat down on the bottom most step leaned back. Back home in America, my family would likely be gathered in the living room of the manor, sharing gifts, hot chocolate, and spiked 'nog. There would be platters of chicken and beef, all kinds of roasted and blanched vegetables. My aunt's legendary garlic bread would be sequestered by my generation and jealously hoarded before the younger ones could even have a chance to so much as find out what was making the smell.

"They probably don't even have a clue what's going on." I stared up at the sky, watching an incredibly realistic model of a cloud float across the ceiling. When I told them that I was leaving, I had also made mention of how it might take me a while to figure everything out and that they shouldn't expect to hear from me for a couple of months while I got situated. Me getting stuck in a game would probably be the last thing they would ever think of.

My gaze slowly turned down, drawn towards a form slowly breaking through the earth. Barely aware of what it was, I unsheathed my weapon and stabbed through the weakened ground, scoffing at the muted notification of my reward. "How unsatisfying."

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I grinned wryly at Asuka's behavior. Both she and Asahi were looking around in awe, the latter furiously writing away at a piece of parchment.

 _Exactly like a field trip, isn't it?_

"I can't even begin to imagine how they created this place!" The red head spun around slowly, wonder suffusing her entire being. "All those towers, they look like they were carved directly from the rock!"

"Some of them are," I responded, feeling as if I had had this conversation before. "Others were built back up using mud bricks among other methods."

"You know this for a fact?" The scholar focused his gaze on me, reminding me of the times project partners from school would start harping on me for not pulling my weight.

I nodded. "There was some running around we had to do when we first arrived here. I ended up talking to the mayor for an hour or so. He seemed fairly excited to be telling me all about his city." I glanced at the pained groan that sounded uniquely like Issin.

"I think you're worse than Harry when it comes to exploring all our options."

I chuckled and shrugged. "What can I say? It's a habit. Figure stuff out about a place and you can potentially take advantage of disadvantages in the construction, figure out points of interest, or just find somewhere with a nice view."

The two pencil pushers continued their observations of the area, guided by our half circle formation. "Do you think it would be a good idea if we tried to meet with the mayor?"

I shifted at her distressed hesitance. "Mitsui, I know we shattered your world view with everything that's going on, but you're still your own person. Whatever you do, it's because you're doing it. Not because somebody decided to to make you do it. I mean, out of all the possible people you could have met and worked with, it was us. And it's not like there's multiple versions of you running around. You are you, and there's no one else that can compare."

She let out a shuddering breath. "You're right. Thank you, Asasaki." I smiled encouragingly. "I guess for now we'll just go see about meeting with anybody relevant in the area. I suppose this is good bye for now then. When we're all done we'll set up the quest notifier for somebody to meet with us." In unison the four of us gave our partings, watching the Tolbana natives walk away.

"Party's supposed to be around 5," Issin suddenly mentioned. "There's a Teleport Gate right here, so we could still make it if we wanted to."

I shifted my weight, folding my arms behind my head.

"Alternatively, we could spend the day completing the quest for Guild Creation over in Zumfut. Make our group official." Harry took off his helmet and combed his fingers through his hair, dropping the armor into his inventory.

"Remind me why we haven't done that yet?" I questioned.

"Because of the quests down on the first floor as well as the fact that you constantly seemed to be dragging someone from the group with you somewhere to check out 'a cool new thing' you found in the markets or to test a way of kiting monsters that need I remind you usually involved the other person?" Harry affixed me with an accusing stare.

I coughed and looked away. "To be fair though, at least now we don't need to have somebody with «Howl» whenever we go hunting." The shield user merely grunted, conceding the point.

"The Guild quest is supposed to be ten to fifteen hours just to get to the dungeon," Choryu said. "If we can accomplish it with our fastest people, then we could just invite the rest once we got back." When I questioned whether that was round trip or one way, the dagger user rifled through a small leaflet and pointed at a specific entry. "Round trip walking from Zumfut. But with all the running you've made us do, we could probably get it done round trip in about half that."

I couldn't help giving a pleased grin at the admission of my well intentioned torture. "Whelp. Whatever we decide to do, I think I'm going to do a bit more wandering of Urbus, maybe hunt down a few monsters on the outskirts. Just send me a message whenever we figure something out, alright?" I lazily returned their good byes, letting my feet guide me where ever they pleased.

With every passing day, more and more people recovered from their stupor. With every tale of success from the front lines, the cloud of depression lifted over the populace. When last I had been in Urbus the city slash town alternated between filled and empty. Not too unlike a city in the real world, but at least back then you could count on seeing at least one other person more than every five minutes. Now, a river of players flowed through the streets, each group a breath of renewed hope.

I stopped at the familiar plinth of the warp gate, its slowly rotating circle making a soft whooshing noise with every pass. Once upon a time there was supposed to be a gate in every major location such as Tolbana on the first floor and Marome here on the second, but somebody had decided otherwise upon the full release. "A little walking never hurt anyone, I suppose."

A familiar form garbed in dark blues and grey painted leather stepped through, the masked man quickly his bearings before moving on. "Oi, Shen!" I ran up to the armored ninja, a wide smile on my face. "Been awhile, hasn't it?" I forced it a little more, letting the expression carry up to my eyes. My height had stopped being an issue by my third year of high school, but I would never be able to rid the pangs of annoyance every time I had to crane my head to carry conversations.

"Forgive me, Miss Asasaki, but I believe it has been no more than three days at most since we last saw each other," he said simply.

I chuckled nervously, chiding myself for having forgotten I had slipped away a few nights ago to aide the ninja with Mánagarmr once more. "Sorry. Things got a little crazy down on the first floor. There's a quest line we're following that seems like it's going to continue for a couple floors."

"Truly? Is it anything like the Elven Campaign that starts in the «Forest of Wavering Mists»?" The masked man walked slowly, allowing me to get used to his pace before subtly increasing it.

"Maybe? Probably not. You might as well call it one giant Escort Mission, with the objectives able to grow alongside you." I walked behind and to his right, following the shinobi through the white brick pathing of the dug out city. "What brings you to the Second Floor, anyway?"

"Equipment maintenance and resupplying for my men. There are adequate smiths in Rovia and Zumfut, but the one we trust has decided to stay here for the time being. Something about the landscape being nostalgic." The ninja leader paused at a crossroad and stared at me for a moment. "What of you? Have you upgraded the armor from the Frozen Wolf?"

I sounded my admission in English, purposely popping the 'p'. "The cloak's up to a 3 Durability and 2 Agility while I've got the gloves and boots at 1D1A each. I'm purchasing some materials from those kids I mentioned by the end of the month, and that should let me get everything to an even 5. After that I'll need to start looking at the other floors for forest materials."

"I look forward to seeing you with the full set. I know we initially disagreed on how to handle the enhancements but after seeing how often we were damaged last time, even with a new round of experience, I understand why you were so adamant on adding a few points into durability and resistance."

I hummed agreeably. "As good as we are, mistakes and misfortune can occur. It's better to have a small safety net, even if it's just a few points. By the way, I don't know if my group's managed to pin down a smith or armorer of our own yet. Would you recommend this guy of yours?"

Almost immediately the leader of Fūmaningun responded. "No. He's far too invested in the romanticized parts of the shinobi arts. If it does not pertain to our armor or weapons, he has no interest in it. In the words of the modern day, he is a full blown Otaku, perhaps even a NEET." Shen sounded fairly disgusted with the man, though there was an undercurrent of admiration.

I snorted. "I guess I might as well meet him though. These days I seem to be doing more errands than fighting, though I'm not exactly complaining. Who knows? One day I might be doing a favor for your group and ferry supplies."

"Perhaps one day." Shen, stopped in front of a nondescript building, looking at me once more. His partially covered eyes giving off a sense of curiosity. "Please forgive his eccentricities." That curiosity died a sudden and painful death, giving rise to apprehension. "His work is superb for what materials he has, but his personality…" The man sighed and opened the door, his body seeming like it belonged to someone headed to the gallows for a brief second.

"Welcome to the Shadow's Den! How can I help- Shen!" A lanky man dashed around the counter, embracing the Fūma Nin in a one sided hug. "It's so great to see you again! How's my favorite ninja doing?"

I blinked rapidly, eyes wide. Eccentric was a gentle term. There was so much wrong with the blacksmith that it fully looped back into being right. From his jutting chin, wide eyes, bucktoothed overbite, and a mole that grew where his left dimple formed.

"And who is…?"

Without missing a beat, Shen broke free of the arguably affectionate gesture and strode towards the counter, his body composed in a way that fresh faced recruits could only dream of. "Miss Asasaki, a samurai in training. She helps us from time to time and is our liaison with certain matters that require exposure to the public."

 _Liar. But thank you for sparing me._

The NEET made a condescending sound before he tuned me out completely, performing a complete 180 as soon as I left his vision. "So what can I do for you today?"

"We require more throwing picks. Also, some of our weapons need repairs. We'd also like to purchase a new model, if you have one."

"I swear, one of these days I'm going to find a way to make these picks return to the owner." The smith stepped to the side and began moving several crates. "I tell you what though, I can't wait to find that coastal town though. All these imitation weapons are seriously starting to annoy me. What I'd do to be able to forge kunai, shuriken, and a nice, strong, ninjato."

 _Isn't a ninjato thought to be a relatively modern creation with no historical basis?_

Allowing the otaku to deliver his rant uninterrupted, Shen stoically exchanged a few bags of cor in exchange for the boxes of ammunition, verifying their contents before dismissing them to his inventory.

"I have a new model for you guys if you're interested. It's around a two level increase, but it comes with three more upgrade attempts than the shoddy butterfly swords I made last time." I turned away from the rack of what looked to be flattened sickles to shoot him a glare.

 _Excuse you, butterfly swords are cool. They have an excellent hand guard and the blade is a wonderful mix of length and girth that allow you a great mix of offense and defense depending on how you respond to an attack._

 _ **Isn't your only experience with them that one time you attended a demo for a cultural festival? And they were blunted at that.**_

 _Quiet you, I'm trying to poke fun at the nerd._

"What's this guy's name, anyway?" I asked once he disappeared into the back room where his forge and grinder was.

"He calls himself Isuke," Shen responded dully. "I never asked for the specifics."

"He seems nice. Spot on description though. Were this the real world I'd fully expect to see anime posters covering the walls." I crouched down to look at a display of curved blades, their tips notably thicker than the tang and sporting a vicious looking barb jutting down from the upper half. Shen hummed ambiguously. In my mind he was fully lost in his own world, a trait only those far too used to nuisances were able to gain.

After a couple minutes the otaku stepped back out, a bundle of sheathed swords in that seemed to be of the 'cutlass' variety in his arm. "Right then. That's everything. Threw in the 2Q2S for each of them like usual. That's ten more attempts that you guys will have to scrounge up on your own, but feel free to come back if you want me to take a crack at it. I'm always happy for a chance to level up my skills, you know."

The man, perhaps early twenties at most, flicked a piece of cor in the air before pocketing it. "And uh, you, girlie. If you ever decide that being a ninja is a better idea instead of a loud and boisterous samurai, you know where to find me. I won't be leaving this floor until we unlock the ninja level."

 _ **He likes you.**_

 _He likes the idea of me. Big difference._

I flicked my hand to the side in farewell, holding the door open for Shen to follow through. "I take it back. He's a lost cause."

"For many, being trapped in here is more a dream than a nightmare. No longer bound by the limitations of reality, they are free to chase after the things that existed only in their minds."

"Like your merry band of nin?" I teased.

"Or your harem of honorable swordsmen," he fired back.

I twitched. "They're not a harem," I contested.

"You are the lone female in a group of seven males that many players look up to. Rumors spread, Demon Nin, regardless of the truth."

I could do nothing but grumble half heartedly, more than aware of how it looked. "Hey, so, we were thinking of tackling the Guild quest. Got any tips?"

"Keep yourselves constantly protected against poisons. Additionally, if your group plans on performing quests for experience instead of fighting monster after monster, you should consider taking a left from the Tower stairs instead of heading right to Zumfut. The elven campaign starts somewhere in the woods along there. The front lines have been barred from attempting it for the time being, aside from the Black Swordsman and his companion."

"Man, those two just do not know how to keep a low profile, do they?" I folded my hands behind my back and swayed from side to side, watching him interact with the menu for the portal.

"They are children. They do as they please, uncaring of the consequences. Good in moderation, terrible when left unchecked."

"I guess that's what growing up is all about though, isn't it? Learning how to be strong, how to be silent, how to speak up. Say hi to the others for me, alright?" I gave him a soft smile, sensing that behind the molded cover he was smiling as well.

"Yeah, definitely like that guy."

"Which guY? The one that looks like you could use his head for calligraphy or the one that looks like he belongs on the side of the road robbing caravanS?"

I jumped slightly, more at the nasal lilt that I would never get used to than the suddenness. "Hey, Argo?" I started, internally cringing at the minute crack in my voice. "What level is your Sneak at?"

"Not a skilL. The correct question is HidinG." The hooded brunette raised a finger, inordinately pleased with herself. "And 300 coR." Said finger smoothly transitioned into an open palm, a greedy grin on her face.

"Pass." I turned away from her, walking away at a pace brisk enough to show my annoyance but not enough to lose her. "And a certain person who leads a certain clan we had a run in with once. He's nice. Old, experienced, patient, peaceful. I could see myself under his command."

"Asasaki has a fetish for submission, I'll just mark that at 10,000," she chirped.

"Lies, slander, and incrimination," I recited rotely. Without any heat, "What do you want, Rat?"

"Just my weekly check up on the woman who helped save my skin, and absent mindedly galvanized the entire coherent population of Aincrad into either hating little Kiri-bou or worshiping him for his effortS."

Concern draped over my body. "I didn't really do that, did I?"

"You did my dear, short, fellow blondE." Argo wrapped an arm around my shoulder, forcefully guiding me somewhere towards the northern part of the city. "Aside from the front lines who mostly blindly follow their leaders, the rest of the player base are either of the mind that all Beta Testers, with a certain Beater specifically, should give up all their equipment or that Kirito is going to be the one who saves us alL."

I let out a groan, letting a few steps fall heavier than they should have. "All I wanted to do was just show him he still has people he can lean on, helpfully ones of the adult age."

"And you diD!" She exclaimed. "Poor kid messages me every other day asking me for help about all sorts of things like girls and how to socializE. I of course don't charge him for it nor do I allow myself to sell that informatioN. Well, most of it anywaY. You're a wretched thing, you know thaT? Making me turn against my own code so drasticallY."

"You have my deepest condolences," I drawled, recognizing the building she was pulling me into as the one that sold Tremble Shortcake.

"By the way, AsasakI. I heard this wonderful little storY." The teen pushing young adult sat me down at a booth, happily tapping something before sending the interface away. "A tale of three strapping young lads and their erotic ninja master leading around a red haired woman with two knights and a scholaR." My head hit the table. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would yoU?"

 _That's it. I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill her, slowly._

"It's a quest we weren't expecting," I muttered. "You remember that ma[ you sold to Klein back in the first month? About a settlement in the forest-"

"That wasn't in the beta and claimed the lives of four solo testers and around a dozen or so regular players before your group somehow managed to leave without a scratcH?" She answered curtly. "Yes, I remembeR."

I pulled back. I knew that there were people who had found the location of the outpost, but to hear that so many had died in the process? It was rather unsettling. "Well it turns out it was a whole quest line for the region. It neatly tied together all those little one shots located around the Black Iron Kingdom." I narrowed my eyes at her. "I'm expecting cor for this, by the way." The self styled 'Rat' could be trusted so long as you paid her, but she was still a businesswoman who loved a profit. Five minutes with her meant she left five hundred cor richer, one way or another.

"You'll get it in the form of a shortcakE," she stated, rapidly working her interface. "Now run that by me one more time, Black Iron KingdoM?" Argo stared at me intently, fingers poised above an invisible keyboard.

"It's what Mitsui, the head of a Trading Guild that used to span the kingdom most of these floors were part of, called the area. Apparently the Town of Beginnings was more commonly known as the Black Iron City, and back in its heyday was a rather powerful place. Tolbana was much the same, though mostly due to all the ores they could get from their mines."

"I'm sorry, did you say the floors used to be apart of a bigger kingdoM?"

"It was an event called the Great Separation. Happened maybe a hundred or so years ago? At least three generations in this world have passed since it happened. Anyway, a series of area clearings and explorations later, Mitsui ended up asking us to escort her and some of her people to the other regions in an attempt to reconnect with her lost branches of her guild."

I rested my chin on my hand and looked to the side. "Same deal with the goblin tribe in the area." Expecting a question, I raised a finger. "They're from part of the last area we had to explore. It's how we ended up getting the Extra Skill: Contract. It allows us to invite a unique, named NPC into our party while also conferring the ability to mess around with their experience gain, among other things." I tapped open my interface, allowing Argo to see the basic layout of the skill window.

"Considering it feels like we're going to be travelling through the majority of the floors with them, and that last I saw Mitsui and her group were heading to meet with the mayor of Urbus, I think it's a safe bet to say that eventually a quest that can grant the 'Contract' skill will pop up wherever we go."

"Anything elsE?" she asked expectantly.

"There seems to be a mod choice that pops up every 50 levels, but they're all locked for the time being. We can't even read up on them. We have some speculations, but it's not like that'll do us any good. For now, we're just going to wait on both the Shukechuun, that's the goblins, and Mitsui's group to do whatever they want in the region while training them up through normal xp share mechanics before moving on to each floor."

"I'll just make a footnote in the Urbus guide theN." With a look of satisfaction, Argo dismissed her interface. "Send me a message when you find something out, yaH?"

"Of course. And, do me a favor and make a note in all future editions to consider NPC's as humans? The programming for those that seem compatible for Contract tend to have behavioral patterns significantly stronger than what you would expect. If people treat them like they're just robots they might have a harder time trying to actually form a Contract. That's part of the skill, by the way. Actually presenting a scroll to the NPC you want to work with."

"Are you calling in this favoR?" she queried.

"No," I said sharply. "It's a request from a friend, for the betterment of our survival and ability to progress through this world."

"Aw, Asasaki, you think of me as a frienD?" She put her hands together and fluttered her lashes at me. It would have been cute were it from anyone else.

"Against my better judgement, yes. You help us out, even if you have a really shitty way of going about it. You don't hide anything beyond reason, and if there's pertinent information you either dangle it in front of us or package it along with whatever information we purchase. You're a dick, but still a friend."

Argo made a sound that sounded like a mix between a laugh, a cough, and a sneeze. "Oh aren't you just adorablE!" She leaned forward and stared at me happily. "Are you sure you're older than mE? Because you might as well be a tsundere schoolgirl with how much of a mixed message that waS."

"Call me that again and I'm stabbing you."

"You're welcome to trY~"

"They call me the demon-nin," I deadpanned. "You really want to find out why?"

"Lighten up, AsasakI." She leaned back in her seat, a wary look on her face. "I'm only teasinG."

I sighed and shook my head. "My apologies. You do good, even if you have selfish reasons for it. It's just a little hard for me not to get testy with you sometimes."

"NoteD. Now tell me about this mystery guy of yours, just between us girlfriendS."

I rolled my eyes, quietly shaking with laughter. "First of all, mysterious doesn't even begin to touch this guy. He's the leader of a group of ninjas and he wears a mask practically all the time."

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I leapt off the edge of the building, turning mid roll to face Mitsui with a flourish. "Ta da!" My only applause was from Asahi, Captain Yamaguchi and his fellow Explorer Kuro rising to their feet with a hand on their swords.

"Lady Mitsui, is travelling by roof top a normal thing for Swordsmen?" The head of both the Explorers and the Tolbana Guard relaxed his body. "I've heard rumors from several of my men of a blonde figure leaping from building to building back in Tolbana the past week, but I'm not sure if it was the result of single person or many."

"I think it's an Asasaki only thing," she replied. "Everybody else seems far more tame than her."

"I'm right here you know!" I shouted in feigned annoyance. "And anyway, travelling on the ground is good for killing time or wanting to think. If I go by rooftop I get to be more active and train up my skills even in urbanized areas."

Mitsui crossed her legs the other way and played with the dark green fabric of her baggy pants, material that was par for the course for NPC's in Urbus. "If you had to assign a number to your penchant for acrobatics, what would you say?"

"Around 130 or so, out of 1,000." The pace had been slow going these days. The first eighty levels or so went by quickly, but with every ten I rose the effort required seemed to increase almost exponentially. I rested against the wall beside the stone bench, grateful for the shade provided by the woven awning. It wasn't a perfect defense against the allegedly winter sun, but something was better than nothing. "So what came out of your conversation?"

"They don't have anything like a merchant's guild here. They still accept cor, but they much rather work with bartering. In exchange for the recipe on how they make their bricks, Ahanu wants us to bring back some seeds for plants that were lost a few decades ago during a drought."

I leaned my head against the flat brick and stared through the holes in the shade. "You're just going to be a series of fetch quests, aren't you?" I mumbled quietly.

"Such is the ways of a merchant." Not as quiet as I thought, apparently. "Offering goods to come out richer. If it helps, think of it as networking with the locals. They learn your face, you learn about the needs of each kingdom. You learn about the needs of each kingdom, you learn how to get in the good graces of those in charge and thus have greater freedom in your operations."

I turned to look at the pseudo-knight. "Is that from lessons Lady Mitsui was given that you were forced to sit in on?"

"It was from a conversation she was having with herself."

"I don't talk to myself!" The woman in question squeaked. Yamaguchi and Asahi replied otherwise.

I chuckled. "Well, if we need to bring back seeds I feel like that means it's our turn to do some work."

"We greatly appreciate it. We aren't opposed to travelling back through the Tower, but since there's a 'Teleport Gate' right here it would be easier if you guys handled it." Ever since we informed Mitsui and her companions of their status as highly autonomous clockwork technology (the most relevant analogy that sprung to mind for 'AI'), the little quirk of their voice falling a little flat whenever key terms were mentioned had completely disappeared. Instead, words that we players threw around with casual ease was spoken with the hesitance of unfamiliarity.

"I'll ask Klein and Harry what they think. Off the top of my head though, and without having seen what Mayor Ahanu wants, I'm thinking myself and Choryu would be the best decisions."

"Twelve Nephente seeds, eight Shadow Roses seeds, ten potato seeds, He didn't specify what type of potatoes he wanted, so whichever one you end up coming across first should do just fine. He also mentioned how the old hermit somewhere in the south might have some other crops growing around his mountain that they've lost as well.

I filed pulled open my inventory, quickly swiping over to my copy of the bestiary Choryu gave us all. "Is that first one from the Little Nephentes over near Horunka?" I turned to look at her, peering out from in front of Yamaguchi's body. "The one that's supposedly a meter and a half tall?"

"That's the one. You'll be looking for one that has something that looks like a fruit on top of its head. The core of it has a bunch of seeds when you cut it open. If you can cut the fruit off by its stem instead of cutting through it the beast won't call for reinforcements, so keep that in mind."

I pushed a finger along one of the metal bands on my tassets. "No pressure or anything," I grumbled.

"For some reason, growing the plant outside of the Horunka forest doesn't result it in becoming a monster. Only in there do we see the giant monsters." Mitsui uncorked one of her flasks, shaking it in disappointment when nothing came out.

"Those monster versions within the forest are completely useless for us as well, unlike the plants which become edible after a year." Perhaps more butler than knight, Yamaguchi silently handed the woman one of his own flasks, reattaching it behind his back when she finished.

"Remind me to try that out sometime. And the Shadow Roses are over in the swamplands, right? They grow between the roots of trees?" Dale had mentioned the plants when they returned from the eastern region. One of the quests over there was gathering enough petals for a tea, something I'd never connected to the tea that Mitsui often served me when I seemed distressed.

"Ah, the potato seeds should be over by the Black Iron City though so at least you won't need to run all the way out to Tolbana." Asahi peeked over the top of Yamaguchi, liking standing if the posture of his head was anything to go by. "It might take half a day at most if two of you go? Perhaps a full day depending on how much trouble the land gives you. And do you plan on finding this hermit?"

"Maybe tomorrow. The guy's pretty out of the way and going out that far isn't exactly worth it." I slowly tapped my finger against the metal.

 _Might ask Shen if his men are still interested in picked up the skill._

"What do you guys plan on doing for the rest of the day?"

"Lady Mitsui wishes to explore the land some more," Yamaguchi answered. "The culture here is radically different from our own. Lady Asasaki, if we wished to test our skills against the monsters of his area what would you suggest?"

"Caves, mostly." My hand flicked out, opening the notifications I had missed during my conversations with Shen and Argo. "You can always wander out onto the flat lands if you wanted to, but don't go too far out. There's some pretty big bulls and cows that show up from time to time. For the most part, staying here in the northern region you'll only be facing up against giant bugs that have no right existing."

"We'll keep that in mind."

I pushed off from the wall, taking a few bouncing steps before spinning around to look at the four travelers. "I'm going to go ahead and start off on collecting those seeds then. Looks like the others decided to accompany the Ol'dekhaan farther south to face off against the minotaurs there. Meter and a half tall, bipedal cows that can use weapons. We'll have to pass them if we want to move up to the third floor, but only when you guys are done in the area." I stifled a snort at the contemplative expressions the four of them got. "Stay safe!" I broke off into a run, easily transitioning into a vertical run and flipping onto the roof. "I can't tell if I'm doing something wrong with Klein and the others or if this is just them thinking I want some time to myself. Teleport, Town of Beginnings!" I cried, diving through the portal.

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A guttural roar tore through the air, my blade biting into yet another carnivorous plant. What every one failed to mentioned was exactly how many «Budding Nephentes» would show upon attacking the faux fruit of the «Blooming Nephentes». In my haste to complete the quest, instead of a clean red line seperating the bulb from the first one I came across, I delivered a nearly invisible slice just along the bottom fourth and started this piss poor party.

"Hang on, we're coming!"

"Stay back, I've got this!" It wouldn't be the first time somebody tried to help me. By this point I must have killed a hundred of the blasted things, perhaps half a dozen rebuffed voices yelling out their intent to aide me. Their assistance was unnecessary though. With no significant distance or projectile attacks such as acid or roots, the biggest danger came from how little room there was to maneuver but between my size and «Acrobatics» I had no trouble slinking between monsters to avoid damage.

I fell onto my shins, performing a rather admirable reenactment of the 'Matrix'. With a quick twist of my body I launched into springing drop kick, maneuvering my lower half after making contact to fire off an aerial «Water Moon», the roundhouse leaving a jagged wound across the torso of the level four plant.

"Ducker, lure another! Sachi, Sasamaru, keep it up!"

 _Those kids?!_

I laughed, spring boarding my way towards their position. "I better not kill more than you guys!" I cheered. "I don't care how many levels I'm ahead of you, there's still five of you!" With a final slash I fully rotated my body and kicked away towards another target, dancing across the heads of the green and white plants.

On and on the fighting went, every explosion of data that wasn't mine filling my heart with pride. The brief looks I had of the Fukasawa kids revealed that they had taken my teachings and flourished. Where once there was a hint of hesitation and uncertainty in their strikes now lay determination. Every move, as sloppy and unpracticed as they were, was filled with confidence and the knowledge that their allies would be there to back them up.

I spun through the air, lashing out at a familiar red orb. "Got it!" I chortled at the red and white icon that popped over my minimized quest log. "Kill them all, we're done here!" With another joyous cry I tore into the plants anew, treating the creatures like a demented trampoline park.

When the final nephente scattered in a shower of crystalline binary, I sheathed my blades with a flourish, pleased with the hour and a half of combat. "Fancy meeting you kids here." I turned around, unable to stop the grin from infecting my face.

"You're a demon," Ducker breathed, tiredly raising a hand in protest. The limb fell to the ground limply, drawing a tired whine from the equally exhausted Sachi.

"Hey, there's a party I'd like to attend in about…" I winced. "an hour and a half," I finished lamely. Unless I sprinted the entire way back to the Town of Beginnings, there would be no way I would be able to make it on time.

 _Better late than never._

"Miss Asasaki, why were you fighting all those plants?" Keita asked, the staff user holding himself up with what was probably a metal coated length of wood.

"More importantly," a head of green hair slowly moved into a sitting position, "why were you continually attacking the bulbs even though we were being overrun?"

"Quest from the upper floors." I pulled out a handful of potions and forced them onto the kids. "They want me to bring back some seeds that could only be found by collecting the bulbs from «Blooming Nephentes». Sorry if it caused you guys trouble, but I told you that I had it handled, didn't I?"

Tetsuo sipped at the red concoction, grimacing at the taste. "Handled implies that there was a cause for concern. What you did was take them to class."

"And made them work out of the textbook that you wrote!" Ducker's limbs once again flung out like an inflatable man, the subsequent fall procuring another whine from the girl in blue.

"Still didn't answer why you guys are here." I laid down between Ducker and Sasamaru, deciding to enjoy the returned quiet while I could.

"We're trying to get a «Little Nephente Ovule»." Keita tried to straighten out, deigning to rest on the floor like his companions after holding the position for a second. "There's a quest we're trying to do for Tetsuo. We have to kill one of the «Blossoming Nephentes», but their spawn rate is supposed to be pretty rare."

I quietly opened up a trade window for the teen in question and handed over the item without fuss. "Mission accomplished. Great job, team!" I flung both my arms into the air, lazily crying praises. "Found one of those things early on. Didn't think anything about it since it wasn't my target, but congrats. How long was this supposed to take?"

"W-we're actually on day three," Sachi admitted. "The crowds died down, but it's still supposed to take around a week, or so the guide book says."

I sat up and rolled forward, moving into a series of stretches while I faced them. "Well, you got it now. Sorry for ruining your plans, but I wasn't expecting to have to deal with anybody while doing this." I propped my head up on both hands, my legs spread out in a split. "You guys doing anything tonight?"

"Why?" Ducker pushed himself up, a portion of his normal cheer returning. "Planning on taking us somewhere?"

"Not me specifically. There's some questing stuff that I need to take care of still, and I don't know if the rest of my group is back from their own quest." I jumped to my feet and made copies of my map for the fourth floor. "There's supposed to be a Christmas party over in the home town of Rovia around 5 pm. It's going to be hosted by the Dragon Knight's Brigade and the Aincrad Liberation Squad. Free food, drinks, probably a couple games and events. I guess it's supposed to be one huge publicity stunt, but honestly I'm just happy to go for the food. If anybody asks about why you're there, just say you were invited by Klein. I'll bring it up with him."

"Hey, Miss Asasaki?"

"Mm?" I looked over at the leader of the five teens, pleased that they have all recovered enough to be sitting.

"We were thinking about heading up to the second floor pretty soon. Do you have any suggestions on what we should do once we get there?"

"Don't go into the open plains far away from any settlements. Monsters that normally only appear in the Tower to the third floor appear there at a higher level, as well as the usual giant Bulls and Cows. Bring antidotes if you go into the caves. Oh, and consider saving up a significant amount of cor to try the Tremble Shortcake over at the «Floating Swallow». It's ridiculously expensive in comparison to everything else, but if you aren't sensitive to sweets it's fairly good. Could always share a single cake as a group if it's too much for you guys. Catch you around." I waved with both hands as I backed away, turning only after I passed a few trees. "Well that was fun."

"Nearly killing six people was fun?" I turned to look at the owner of the scratchy voice, internally rolling my eyes at his overly serious face.

" _I_ did nothing," I responded, continuing to walk. Garbed in a variation of the 'scale mail' class of gear, the gaunt man trailed after me.

"You weren't the only person in the forest, you know."

"I'm not the one that forced them to stay in the area. Besides, the «Sprouting Nephentes» only become aggressive in the area that a Blossoming one was attacked. If anybody got into trouble, they should have left. It's completely open forest around here, and the only things you need to worry about chasing you down are the Wasps."

"Aren't you going to apologize?" he asked aggressively, rushing to stop in front of me.

I gave an exaggerated eye roll. "I just said it's not my fault for people being stupid. This is a death game, they need to start treating it seriously. That means knowing when to back off from threats they can't handle." I gave a one sided smirk, gently stroking my forefinger along the hilt of my Armor Splitter. "Are you seriously going to fight me over this?" I asked incrediously when he drew his blade.

"You Beta Testers need to be put in your place," he growled.

I burst out laughing. "Oh that's adorable." I gave him a once over, a handful of ways to take him down playing through my mind. "How about you come back when you _aren't_ shaking in your pants. Seriously, you're talking about the woman who just killed somewhere around two hundred plants in about two hours without taking a scratch. Do you _really_ think your odds are good?" When he held his position I snorted and walked past him without a word, ensuring my body language screamed 'try it'.

 _ **Would you have killed him?**_

 _I'd do my best to show him how outclassed he was. Threat of pain doesn't really do much to deter people when all you feel are nudges and pokes._

I looked up through the canopy, humming in thought. "Guess I should dive into the whole 'ninja' thing and look into getting some poisons I can apply to my weapons. Inflicting paralysis or delay on somebody sounds like a good deterrent. Didn't Hilde mention something about that?" I cocked my head to the side. "Mayhaps another day."

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I smiled to myself, proudly flaunting the full length Santa outfit a player training their «Tailoring» skill had given me. Apparently my name and appearance was fairly well known amongst both the front lines and the regular players as a figure who seemed to be just about everywhere. The fact that the teen had specifically singled me out for my height was fairly irksome, but the warmth of the fabric against the chill that accompanied the spontaneous snow was worth the hassle.

Fully diving into the persona of an idol, I gave a small twirl and waved at the passing groups on either side of me, giving a wink to a pair of teens who were staring at me. My evening wasn't all fun and games though. There were people I wanted to catch, potentially people who needed a stern talking to depending on how their responses went.

I let out a gasp and returned an excited eleven year old's cry, kneeling down and conversing with him before his caretakers called him back. While it was true that a party of some kind was being held around every Teleport Gate, perhaps barring the first where it was held at Tolbana, it was here at Rovia where the main event was taking place.

 _At least for one day, we can put aside our differences and simply embrace our shared humanity._

I clasped my hands behind my back, intently letting the bell on the tip of my hat jingle every time I found something new to look at. The north east corner of the City of Water was packed with bodies, ranging somewhere in the upper four hundreds by Argo's estimates. There was spill over of course into the market and residential quadrants to the south and west respectively, but those were for people who wanted a breather from the second hand energetic high.

'You should talk to Kibaou and Lind about the state of affairS. Who knows, you might find something interestinG,' the information broker had told me.

I scoffed. "Oh god, I'm even adding that annoying quirk of her to my thoughts." I hummed to myself in amusement, climbing up the rungs one step at a time. At the end of the row of buildings which functioned for gondola construction, a shadowed figure leaned against a spire, looking over the festivities. "Hey there, Mr. Broody. Having fun skulking about?"

"I ain't skulking," the harsh voice I immediately attributed to Kibaou said. "M'jus taking a break, 's all."

"Mm." I moved to his side, appreciating the view he chose. "What does that make this? Nearly two months since this world began?" I tilted my head towards him, keeping the bonfire built by Agil and his crew in the center of my vision. My previous interactions with the leader of the Liberation Squad weren't all that bad, and as much as I trusted the words of Asuna and Kirito it was better to hold off my judgement until I was able to make my own decisions on the guild leaders.

"Sumthin like that." Kibaou pushed off the wall, staring at me with his arms folded. "Whaddya want, Demon Nin?"

I let out an amused puff of air from my noise at the moniker. "I heard rumors of a shadowy figure staring out at the party. Naturally, as one of Santa's little helpers I decided that it would be best if I checked out the problem for myself." I performed a small dance, ending by leaning forward with my hands folded in my lap.

"That'd be cute if I hadn't seen ya fly into a berserker rage," he grumbled.

"Oh come now, Kibaou. We all have our skeletons. Mine just happens to be an insatiable blood lust." I turned away with another partial twirl, stepping out towards the edge of the roof. "Why do you think the suit is red?" I forced myself to express my amusement at his silence with a giggle. "Kidding, kidding. But really though, why are you up here?" I walked back towards him, treating the ordeal like a play I had been drafted into assisting with. "Shouldn't you be down there with your men, sharing in the festivities and feeling the Christmas spirit?" I tilted my body to the side and smiled, a motion that as far as anybody but my sister knew was completely natural. "C'mon, Kibaou. You can talk to me. Just think of it as a present, somebody you can talk to.

"Didn't 'cha help build this game?" He demanded, a light growl sounding as he spoke.

"Contrary to what everybody keeps thinking, I've had no experience with any type of technology this interactive. I just have around a decade and a half of combat experience and any type of gaming I did do was heavily pattern and reaction based, so I've learned to be good at figuring out how to solve monster routines and other things of that nature." I gave him a teasing smile. "Helps that everything I go up against is a mindless beast trying to kill me, so I have no need to hold back."

The man muttered to himself, backing up against the wall.

"Thanks for hosting this whole thing," I said suddenly. "I've heard that you and the Dragon Knights don't exactly get along, so it's admirable that you guys could play nice for a day and focus on boosting morale."

"Yah know what would really boost morale? More bodies with us at the true front lines and not just hanging about on the lower floors." It was a taunt. Probably. It could just be he was irritated by the fact that there was a good five or six thousand players that weren't helping out, but it was equally as possibly that he'd heard from a certain claw user that I was spending my time questing instead of pushing floors.

"You guys keep pushing the limit, and people like myself show others how to actually live." I stretched my hands above my head. "It might not be what we want, but some people just need to take baby steps instead of signing up for the marathon. I can think of at least five kids who might one day join you guys in the towers."

"Kids shouldn't be here," he grounged.

"No, but they are. And whether they think this is a game or recognize what's actually at stake, we need to do what we can to keep them safe, to make sure that they don't get out of this with more mental problems than they should."

A questioning grunt. "In order to get out of here we have to willingly throw ourselves in the face of death. I'd wager that nearly 95% of all current players are civilians, with another 4% having some kind of combat experience, even if it's just a martial art, while the final 1% has actual experience fighting for their life or the lives of others. Nobody's getting out of here unscathed, not unless they don't fight at all."

I smiled and shook my head. "Some of us are already damaged, and yet still keep on chugging along." I let out ambivalent hum. "You know, I came here to pick your head and instead I picked mine." I turned to face the man, intently meeting his gaze. "Whatever you do, Kibaou, you're a leader. People are going to look up to you, people are going to respect your decisions and whatever fallout happens as a result is directly tied to you. It's a tough position, but somebody needs to do it. Just do your best to make the right decisions, alright?"

Kibaou snorted. "I don't need a crazed, psychotic murderer telling me how ta lead my group."

I hid my wince behind a hand and a choked gasp that would likely be interpreted as a laugh.

"But thanks, I suppose. And for what it's worth, I guess I'm grateful yer helping out the newbies."

"We all have our roles to play." I looked back out at the crowd, watching two figures clash in an organised duel that took full advantage of the lack of damage in a safe zone. "For some of us, that just means working back stage to make sure the main event goes on without any problems." I waved a hand lazily, cocking it to the side like a windshield wiper. "Take care, Kibaou." I broke into a light jog, jumping off the building and slipped alongside a crowd of party goers.

 _Ugh, god. I don't think I can handle another 'psych murderer' comment tonight. Lind, consider yourself lucky. Auntie Dawn's giving you a free pass tonight._

"Heeey! Asasaki! Over here!"

I smiled at the yellow form of Ducker, running over to follow them for the time being.

 _Hey me, remember all that flak I was giving these guys back in the «Forsaken Woods»? Yeah, forget about that. These kids are great._

* * *

 _Next chapter should be October 27th-28th._


	17. Tectonic Convergence

_Technically speaking, this chapter was ready to go by Tuesday morning, but both my desire to stick to a regular schedule and the fear of it not being as good as it could be kept me from publishing it Wednesday or Thursday._

* * *

I hummed to myself, peacefully skating across the water. To the east not more than three minutes of boating stood the 4th floor Tower, stretching into the next floor like the skyscrapers of our past. In the largest of the houses here at the southern village, all the heads of the guilds and parties had gathered for a last minute strategy meeting. Klein and Harry had extended an invitation to me, but I had declined in favor of relaxing atop the water's surface.

"I've seen people use those before, Miss Asasaki, but I don't think anyone's seemed as natural about it like you."

I slid to a stop, turn to face the youngest of Agil's group. "It's basically like skating, whether on rollerblades or ice skates. The balancing is a little weird, but it's easier if you think of it like a four wheeler setup." My eyes flicked to the side, my body jerking to adjust for a moment of overbalancedness.

"Really? I'll have to try them out at some point then. I used to do a bit of skating on my own back in the real world."

"I don't know if you'll be able to. The Rat mentioned you needed to have a high agility value to use them." I gestured at my body, pointing out the lack of armor. "People like her and some of the Fūma nin could get away with having additional equipment on since they're using Cloth or Leather, but I've already made the switch to Light Metal and I don't have any gear that wouldn't mess me up."

"Really? That's a shame." Siegfried popped his head up from his hands and nudged his companion. "Hey, Yunyun. You wear Leather armor still. Think you could pull those things off?"

"I thought I told you to call me Jun," the green themed fauchard user grumbled.

"But that's not your name?" The younger asked in mock confusion.

Yunyun scoffed. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I'm focused on Strength and Vitality, remember?"

"Aww, you're no fun." Siegfried slumped, letting his body convey his disappointment.

"It's good to see that you two are still so close," I commented. "Having connections is important in these trying times."

"Speaking of connections," the teen's head perked back up, grinning wildly. "Got anybody special in that little harem of yours?"

I rolled my eyes and started moving around in a lazy eight. "They're more minions than boy toys if we're being honest. Some days I lead them around, some days they guide me around." I turned around, starting the pattern in reverse. "It's a mutually beneficial relationship."

"Must be nice, having all that eye candy all the time," he teased.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I smiled and skated over to the walkway, pulling myself up beside them. "So walk me through this. We go into the Tower…"

"Rotate Squads through each mob to stay as fresh as possible then wait at the boss door, pot up, and start the battle," YunYun began. "A single Tank team and DPS team will go in each time, DPS groups rotating for CD's and aggro while Tank teams call for a switch whenever they fall below their potion margins. If there are Adds, the designated teams will take care of those. If not, cautiously rotate through and assist the damage dealers until we make sure there isn't a mechanic that punishes too much damage in a certain amount of time like we've been hearing rumors about."

"Hm." I swung my legs, staying silent on the fact that it was an off hand comment regarding an unnamed Mánagarmr while talking with Argo that spawned the fears of previously unknown special moves. "So same old, same old."

Siegfried raised his arms in the air, eerily replicating the cheer I had given to the Fukasawa kids with significantly more energy. "Just another day in the world of Aincrad! Field Boss? Actually pay attention to the mechanics. Floor Boss? Group up and hit it until it dies! It's honestly a little boring," he finished lamely, falling onto his back.

I chuckled. "You should look into doing the quests or hunting down special monsters then. Still pretty much a DPS rush, but at least the mechanics are fresh and so you have to pay attention to what you're doing." I shared the events that had taken place yesterday when I led part of Fūmaningun to the Martial Arts quest. Before heading out, I had met with the mayor along with Mitsui. Now aware that she was working with the Swordsmen of yore, the man had tasked me with reclaiming the lost sigil of Urbus. It held no importance other than as memorabilia, but nobody had kept records of the image or what it even looked like. All that was known was that it disappeared alongside a messenger sent to persuade the Hermit to assist them with an impending monster invasion a few decades ago.

"I take it back!" Siegfried cried when I finished. "I am totally fine fighting Floor Bosses if it means I don't have to deal with a monster that glows in the dark!"

"Yeah, I thought so!" I cackled, suppressing a shiver at memory of the glowing silver lights on that scarab's body. Creatures that size had no right moving around that fast. "It was only thanks to my paranoia and desire to actually have to use those lanterns that I had Klein and the others purchase back on the first floor that we actually managed to get through it without any casualties. We lit up a handful of safe zones and then just rotated through everybody on who was pulling aggro while the rest maintained their health."

"And now the question is is what's worse? These huge, four to six bar DPS rushes or a gimmicky fight with around one to three bars and high amount of maneuverability?"

There was a rhetorical tone to YunYun's voice, but for the sake of continuing the conversation, "I'll go with Questing being the more difficult option. Even though we're not around the same level as you guys, the fact that we're having all these different fights with unique approaches means we're probably better off than you in terms of skill."

"Or you're just a ninja. Who helped developed this game," the polearm user responded.

"I had nothing to do with the creation of this game," I grumbled uselessly.

 _I knew I'd regret that jibe to Argo._

"Aw, look, Klein. The kids are getting along, isn't that great?" I rolled my eyes at the sound of Agil's gruff voice, the American native letting his shadow tower over us.

"I'm just happy seeing little Asasaki socializing, She's such an anti-social shut in sometimes it makes Kirito look normal."

"Hey, I resent that statement with all my heart!" I jumped up and took a step forward, daring them to continue. "I'm nothing like that pint sized gothic hikikomori!"

"Pint sized and rarely seen out in public unless its to gather supplies or travelling somewhere. Over rooftops instead of on the ground like a normal person I might add." Agil pointed a finger at me and raised an accusing brow.

"Face it, Asasaki. You're just the adult and female version of Kirito." Klein grinned and ruffled my hair, laughing when I brushed his arm away.

"Screw you! I'm heading over to the tower." I leapt off the walkway and skated off, grumbling at how easy I let myself fall to their taunts. "S'not like I don't purposely talk to people. I just don't see why I should go out of my way to learn everybody's faces or names when I'm only going to interact with them the single time. Perfectly normal behavior."

When the silt covered landing to the 4th Floor tower came into sight I slowed down my pace, wondering if I had overreacted to the jest. "Look at me, 27 years old and getting all worked up over being compared to a child. I'm supposed to be mature, not letting myself be the butt of a joke." I slowly stepped across the shoal, savoring the sensation of water soaked particles on my feet.

"Kids really shouldn't be here..."

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While not quite an underground, multi-level maze of mind breaking confusion and horrendous back tracking puzzles, the 4th floor Tower was irrevocably the 'Water Level'. A mix of both natural rock and grey bricks, the curving levels of this dungeon were still fairly easy to get lost in. It was only thanks to the 40-odd bodies mercilessly pushing each other to be the first to find the boss room that had allowed it to be conquered so easily.

"Luckily, I'm not them and I have a map." I hummed a small tune from a song I had long forgotten the origins of, downing a Paralysis Potion while I set up markers for each floor. "Suck it, Clearers. I'll just say I was getting some last minute grinding in."

My newest weapon, a creation of the Ninja geek Isuke, served incredibly well for unarmored enemies. A dramatized version of the khopeshes I had seen on display (and not reversed hand scythes as I had first thought) the S shaped «Tormenting Reaper» had the unique ability to deal heavier damage on any reversed strikes, a skill most likely due to the vicious length of metal on either curve partially extending towards the hilt.

Floor by floor I climbed, dancing around horribly telegraphed blows and Sword Skills from the mix of beastly and vaguely humanoid monsters, slowly cataloging the speed and indications for every strike until I could reach a point where minimal effort was all that I needed to continue forward.

It wasn't until a few floors after the mid point Safe Zone that I felt confident enough in giving only small side steps and leans instead the full retreats that I started with. Euphoria surged through me when I completed my third perfect fight in a row without the need for the dodge mechanic of «Acrobatics» forcibly moving me out of the way, a renewed sense of fervor washing through my body.

"Wait no, that's just a level up." Without a second thought I flung the three points into Dexterity, nodding at the minute increase in limberness. Though my original plan was to follow a 2, 1, 3 ratio for my skill points I had somehow ended up following an almost 1, 1, 4 ratio, currently sitting at 10, 8, and 36. "Not like it matters too much," I mumbled. With most of my normal attacks being aimed at vital areas, my output was on par with those who had a Strength value of 20 or higher.

I finally stopped at the entrance to a large room, eyeing the darkness within. With my map displaying only a circular pond of water in the center nothing else seemed to suggest a trap but considering that everything up to this point had been lit up, even if obscured by the fonts of water, it was safe to assume that whatever lay ahead would be trouble.

Hesitating only for a second, I convinced myself that everybody was only a couple minutes behind. Immediately upon entering the torches around the room started lighting up in opposing directions, bathing the room in light. Four streams of water flowed symmetrically into the room, each ending at the pool of water that appeared to go down forever. Another step forward. A quiet orchestra began playing, the instruments heralding something's approach. In tandem with the appearance of a larger version of the 5 foot tall sahuagins that patrolled this Tower, the dark gray stones took on a kaleidoscope of colors, the previously hard surface now appearing like stained glass.

#Scourge of the Sea, Zirgog#

Similar in theme to the rest of its blue skinned companions, Zirgog had a sleek suit of armor protecting its torso. Its helm holding to the streamlined design of numerous slim spikes pointing backwards. Patches of impenetrable scales covered its limbs, and a heavy blade, almost rapier-like in appearance, sprouted from a large gauntlet covering its right hand.

With a sardonic grin I unsheathed my weapon, mentally marking its weak points and likely attack patterns. "You know, it's honestly a little disappointing. You have such a cool design, but you're nothing but a collection of 1's and 0's tagged with a 'Kill all Swordsmen' command." I ducked under a diagonal left-right slash, muted annoyance flaring at the aborted glimmer washing through my body.

"Could you imagine if I had somebody like you under my command? What kind of shenanigans I could have you do to the monster population?" Its left leg shot out, taking a thrust to its calf in exchange. With a yank, its health bar dipped once again, around 6% total from the two attacks.

"Seriously, you're almost an eight foot beast with a sword nearly as long as you. I throw you into open plains and the loot would comically rack up." Zirgog reared back, missing a glowing thrust and its follow up spinning slice.

With such a dramatic attack having been used I launched forward and scaled its body, drawing the edge of my blade across its face. A quick flick and adjustment of my hands brought the steel through its skull, the red markings fading away as I kicked off and generated some space.

A symbol of a blocked eye flashed into existence above its health bar, the two legged amphibian stumbling around before cocking its arm behind it in a motion similar to the one handed sword ability «Rage Spike», sans the parallel position to its legs. The instant Zirgog started turned I hopped back several times, noting the small upward curve before each of its three slashes in my direction. "That's four. What else you got, you walking piece of sushi?"

Almost as if in response to my taunt, it flung its free hand out and grabbed hold of me, slamming me into the ground back first. Undoubtedly concussed if that happened in the real world, the offended creature flung me somewhere to its right, letting out roar accompanied by a dulcet clicking sound.

I curled up and tensed my left arm when the numbness of «Delay» faded away, the tingling of the system taking over and granting me the ability to recover from the throw. "Fucker, that hurt. Not." I pulled out a potion from my quick access pouch, downing the liquid as fast as possible. It wouldn't kick in for several seconds, but it would be better than allowing myself to continue with over a fourth of my health missing.

I ducked underneath the right-left slash, my impromptu glass projectile taking a few lines of health when it connected with the sahuagin's face. "That should not have worked," I grumbled. A sudden punch received a single slash in kind. The proceeding thrust and swipe hit nothing but wall behind me.

"This is where you lose." With its pattern figured out, I dashed in and delivered a series of strikes to its legs, the scales mitigating most but not all of my damage. With a quick breath I leapt up to its left thigh and plunged my sword in, affixing myself to the limb while it leapt back and unleashed its triple spin attack.

The moment its movement stopped I clambered back up to its neck and stabbed through its temple repeatedly, gritting my teeth when it began shaking. Its left hand tore me off, flinging me once more through the air. I crossed my arms, this time moving with the «Acrobatics» mod 'Ukemi' to land on my feet. Water splashed through the air, the din of the falling streams behind me drowning out all sound. My eyes fell to the ring of raised bricks guiding the liquid into the center, creating a half circle pool.

 _I need more room._

Its next cycle of attacks were dodged neatly, a desire to keep myself from risking additional damage before the potion ran its course staying at the forefront of my mind. "Are you serious?!" I slashed at the single kick from its repeated pattern, growling at the bar that was under 10%. "I could've killed you that last round?!"

"Dawn!"

My head reflexively turned towards the voice, ready for the following commands.

 _Oh right. You're still here._

A hiss instinctively left my lips, the blade of Zirgog stabbing through my right elbow. With the retracting motion my forearm disappeared in an explosion of data, sword clattering to the ground. "You piece of-" The pata swung through the air, batting me aside. Another ukemi that brought me into a crouch. My eyes flashed to the timer above my health, my lips contorting into a grimace at the heavy bleed I was suffering from. Before I could adjust my plans, the combined forces of the Dragon Knights and the Liberation Squad shattered the sahuagin, a loud cheer being released before the two groups exactly who else was beside them.

"Fuck! Shit! Oh crap, are you okay!? Do you have potions?!" Klein stared at me uselessly, his hands shaking as he tried to comprehend what had just occurred.

"Commander, with all due respect,, shut up. I'm fine." I huffed. "Just give me another twenty seconds and I can counteract this."

"I'm not your commander," he responded quietly, arms falling to his sides.

"You know what I mean…" I lowered my head, taking note of how the lack of a limb felt.

With a jolt Klein's arms moved into fists, a furious look in his eyes. "What the hell were you thinking, coming in here like that! You didn't party up with us, didn't tell us what you were doing, weren't you the one who was always going on about the necessities of trusting your comrades?!"

I sunk lower, fighting back against the part of me that wanted to scream back.

 _I didn't tell them anything…?_

Klein held a potion in front of me, anger poisoning his face. "You promised us you wouldn't pull shit like this again!"

 _I thought I had this handled..._

I took the potion, taking deep breaths while he continued berating me.

"Klein, enough." A voice I didn't expect silenced his rant. "If the Demon Nin thought she could handle it, she could handle it."

"Kibaou…" Klein's voice ended in a quiet growl, the spiky haired leader of the Liberation Squad stepping up to me.

When the icon for the potion cooldown disappeared, I tilted my head back and sucked down the red liquid, focusing on the bitter taste in place of the questioning coldness in my heart.

"What does yer arm feel like?"

"Say again?" I questioned, placing the empty bottle in my inventory.

The orange haired sword user held my weapon out for me. "Yer arm. Yer the first person since the Beta to be dismembered. What's it feel like?"

"Like it should still be there," I grabbed hold of the blade, nodding in appreciation. "If you asked me to shake your hand I'd instinctively do it with my right, even though its not there. It feels exactly like getting damaged should be. A void of nonexistence that you know isn't right but until you look and see what's wrong doesn't make any sense." The orange haired one handed sword user grunted before walking away, calling out for everybody to keep on moving.

"Why…?" Klein whispered.

"I don't know." I looked away, watching my health bar slowly fight back against the bleed.

"The hell does that mean!?"

"I don't know," I restated, looking him in the eye. "I set off from the village thinking I was just going to have some fun while I waited for you guys to catch up. Next thing I know, I'm 18 floors up and fighting against Zirgog." I waved my hand in annoyance, rolling my eyes when I realized that it was with my missing right and not my left.

"You're not participating in this Raid," he said suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"You're not participating in this raid. We don't know what we're going up against, and this is the third, maybe fourth time you've pulled something like this. What am I supposed to think?" Klein stared at me, his lips pushed together in a scowl. "It's like you have a death wish!"

All emotion left my face. "Is that what you think…?"

"It's what it looks like! I know you come from the military, that you have almost a decade's worth of fighting experience, and that you've lost people, but the way you're acting it's like you don't even care about yourself!"

My lip twitched.

"First it was with that Goblin back near the outpost, then during the Raid on the First floor, after that you had that other Goblin south of Tolbana, and who knows what happened when you snuck out the other night!" Klein stared me, the rest of the still unofficial Fūrinkazan standing uncomfortably behind him. "You're acting compromised, Asasaki. I can't let you continue like this."

"Fine. I'll stay on the side lines."

"No, you're staying outside the doors."

"You want me to just stand aside while others are fighting?!"

"I WANT YOU TO STAY WHERE IT'S SAFE!"

I pushed onto the ball of my right foot, challenging his gaze unflinchingly.

"People could _die_ here, Dawn." He folded his arms and stared back, a minor victory in my book. "And I don't know if I could handle see that happen to you."

"Tch." I stalked away, shoving my weapon back into its sheath.

 _I'm not suicidal. I'm not that much of an idiot to dishonor everybody like that._

A quiet voice whispered otherwise, its alluring sensation dulling my sensations.

Several minutes later at the entrance of the boss room, I was greeted by the panicked faces of Kirito, Asuna, and Argo rounding the corner. "Yo!" I stood and waved, wondering what had them so frantic.

"Where are they?!" Kirito demanded, stopping in front of me wide eyed.

"Inside?" I answered in confusion, attention drawn to the two dark skinned figures behind them that screamed elf. The twin stars of Black and Red shared a look before motioning for the four of us to step aside. With barely an ounce of effort, the large granite doors leading into the boss room flew open, the trickle of water that had started a few minutes ago transforming into a rush of water, depositing the some fifty or so combatants each wearing a brightly colored inner tubes.

"How's the water, guys?" I jeered, ensuring my venomous smile portrayed the rage I felt at being benched.

"Jus' peachy, Demon Nin." I quietly handed the Kansai native a potion, moving over to begrudgingly assist Klein and the others.

"Alright, everybody up! Pot up, we're going back in!"

"Lind, the hell you talking about?! We just spend ten minutes in there and we didn't even get rid of a single health bar!"

I hummed in amusement, watching Kirito peer from behind the door. True to Klein's words, the odd half-platypus half-fish with a mane of tentacles was still five bars strong, with the sixth resting at around 25% full.

"Of course I do! We figured out its attack patterns and we've already come all this way! There's no point in wasting all that effort!"

 _Effort that belongs to me, thank you very little._

The clink of metal pulled my attention. "Swordsmen of humankind, if you intend to fight, stand at once." I golf clapped at his commanding presence, ignoring the questioning look the female elf gave me. "If not, then be silent. In either case, through my pact with Kirito and Asuna I shall dispatch the Beast of this Pillar of the Heavens." I shot Argo a look, the woman grinning victoriously.

"In my name, Yofilis, knight of Lysula, I command all who fight to follow my lead!" A torrent of golden light erupted from the self proclaimed knight, his rapier held firmly before him. Four icons blinked into existence above my health bar, each proudly stating an enhancement to various combative stats.

United by the four man of two teens and two NPC's the Raid group charged back into the room, the doors only closing after Kirito told Argo something. "You seem like you're having a profitable day," I commented.

"ExtremelY," she said happily, shaking a few drops of water from her shoes. "So why aren't you in therE?"

"I had a little incident two levels down and the squad leaders almost unanimously agreed that I was in no shape to continue fighting."

"Do you wanna talk about iT?"

"Are you going to sell it?" I asked questioningly.

"Is that your favouR?" she sung.

"Pass," I uttered.

"Fine, finE."Argo waved her hands placatingly. "I promise I won't put this information on the markeT."

"Klein accused me of being suicidal."

"You say whaT?" She said flatly.

"That moment when you say something true that nobody was expecting?" I gave her a sideways look. "That just happened."

Argo looked down at the ground and muttered to herself before looking back at me. "I'm going to need to hear this from the beginninG."

And so I told her. I told her exactly what had happened since the village, my trek up the tower, and the uncomfortable realisation that perhaps subconsciously I wasn't as composed as I originally believed. "Handle," I uttered. The two of us grabbed hold of the fixtures, tugging open the doors to reduce the amount of water. "Get back in there, YunYun. Siegfried isn't going to let you live it down if you back out now."

The two handed polearm user gave an exasperated breath. "My name is Jun!"

"And I'm a teenager!" I told his back.

"I thought you were in your twentieS?"

"I'm 27. Which makes the fact that I'm having all these younglings tell me what to do so grating. I'm pretty sure the only people who have any right ordering me around is Agil, Kinboshi, and Shen."

Argo fell silent. "What do you plan on doing theN?" She asked hesitantly. "About, you knoW."

"Honestly? There's nothing I really can do. Stuff like this," I shrugged. "All I can do is be safe about my actions, keep in mind that there are people both here and in the real world that want to see me walking about and not 6 feet deep, and let time work its magic."

Argo padded over to me, enveloping me in a hug from behind.

"Oi, didn't I just tell you? I'm the adult here. I'm the one that should be doing this for people, not the other way around."

"Asasaki, everybody needs help from time to timE. Just shut up and let your friends be there for you, yA?"

I rolled my eyes and turned around, reciprocating the action. "I already am."

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I plopped down in front of Mitsui, waving away Yamaguchi's attempt to pour me a cup of tea in favor of doing it myself. "The fourth floor boss got defeated."

"That's great! Do you know what the next floor looks like?"

I shrugged. "I only stayed around long enough for it to get beaten then headed back down. Klein and I got into another argu- disagreement." I sipped at the liquid, wondering how tense her meeting must have been to warrant making the subtly sweet tea.

"Forgive me, but it seems to me as if you two clash almost once a week."

"We just have different mindsets," I told the butler slash protector.

"But you can see why he acts that way, don't you?" Mitsui looked at me curiously, her eyes filled with concern.

I shrugged. "He's a civilian. As much as he and others like him want me to act otherwise, I'm fundamentally different from them. Of course I fear danger, but not enough to stop me from handling things that need to be done."

"Like facing a creature nearly twice your height all by yourself?" Yamaguchi deadpanned.

"And didn't I come out of that unscathed?" I countered.

"It was an unnecessary risk. Even as Explorers, people who are anathema to the citizens of Tolbana and Black Iron City, we do not charge into fights by ourselves 'because it needs to be done'."

I grunted. "So where's Asahi and Hibiki?"

"Asahi wanted take notes on the architecture of the area. Hibiki decided to accompany him as a precaution. Even if we are in a so called 'Safe Zone' that doesn't change the fact we are in a foreign land."

Mitsui said nothing in regards to the behavior of her captain, instead busying herself with the leaves in her cup. "Anything I can help out with since I'm here?"

"Shouldn't you be able to see that in your Quest Log?" The not-Knight furrowed his brow.

"I disabled most of those notifications unless it's something relevant to what I'm working towards. All the pop ups and colors just get in the way. Plus, I could take a look but it's nicer actually asking about it in person."

"The Village Elder here wants us to bring back some livestock," Mitsui said, breaking free from her thoughts. "They can survive off all the game they catch from their traps in the forests, but it would be nice if they could have something else to supplant their intake."

"I could bring back some chicken eggs?" My head shot up, recalling the attackable fowl I had seen in the farms north of Tolbana.

"You might need to bring back a few dozen of them to sustain a population. They have the grain to take care of them, but since they've likely never seen chickens we should prepare them for failure." The woman nodded gratefully at the new cup. "We were also thinking about bringing over some Nephente seeds, but since we aren't sure whether or not their monster form is a guarantee in forested regions we didn't want to risk it."

"So just a few dozen chicken eggs from the Black Iron Kingdom then." I flicked open my log, confirming the new quest that appeared. "Okay! I'll be back sometime mid or late afternoon then. Let Klein and the others know what I'm up to if they come back here?"

"Of course. Safe travels."

I closed the door behind me, focusing on the gentle wind and string instruments infusing the air. "I know there's something wrong with me, but it's not as bad as they're making it out to be." I closed my eyes, forcing my breaths into a quick four count. "I guess I can make an effort to not be as risky though."

 _Which means hanging out on the front lines from a time and raising my levels so I can safely do whatever I want._

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I stepped through the portal, smiling happily at the results of the long evening. Shen had set a grueling pace, but in the end we managed to claim the «Leggings of the Frostborn» without any significant injuries.

"If this were the real world, you'd one drunken stupor away from me tearing into you."

I turned to the side, blinking at Choryu's frame. "How long have you been there?" I queried, stepping away from the portal in consideration of any other night owls.

"Since 11." The techie let out a long sigh, motioning for me to follow. "The others have mixed feelings on what to do about you." This late at night, the only NPC's walking around were those working the taverns or inns. Not even general stores could be accessed unless you managed to find one that was player run.

"Klein, Issin, and Dale want to ban you from anywhere near the front lines for a couple of days, maybe even a few weeks. Harry, Kunimitzz, and Dynamm are of the mind that you're more than capable of handling yourself, and that you just need people to keep you grounded."

"What about yourself?" I pulled my map down into my hand and extended the interface for a wider view, realizing that the path we were on led directly to the giant tree that housed the majority of the third floor's major facilities.

A simple shrug was all I received. "You're a strong woman. I'm sure you know what you're doing." Haru took another breath and leaned on the railing overlooking the town of Zumfut. "You know I look up to you?" He

said after a moment.

The man pulled open his interface and allowed me to see the digital version of his Bestiary, slowly moving through each of the entries we had painstakingly filled out. "That first day we met, I saw you and thought you were going to be one of the people who would get us out of here. The way you move, the way you carried yourself." He shook his head. "It was like looking at living legend."

My hand fell to the ivory handle of my sword, a nod to the starter weapon sheathed in the tusk of a Frenzy Boar that still lay at the bottom of my inventory.

"But the thing about legends is, they never really tell the full story. They always tell about the heroics, about the feats accomplished. But they rarely talk about the people around them. They rarely talk about what sort of things go through the minds of those Heros."

"I'm not a Hero," I muttered, taking a step back.

"The front lines think a little differently." Haru stopped at the entry for Wythege, an incredibly detailed black and white picture of the creature prominently displayed at the top. "Only the guild and party heads know otherwise, but to the rest of the fighters? You were the one who volunteered to go ahead and clear as much of the path as possible so everybody else could fight at their best."

I leaned back against the hand rest carved from the living tree. "Who spun that tale?"

"Klein, Kibaou, Agil, Orlando, and eventually Lind once the Dragon Knights started asking questions." He huffed and slid back a bit, resting his arms on the wood. "So what were you even doing?"

"Hunting with some acquaintances."

"This late at night?" Haru gave me a lazy stare. "Why do I distinctly remember you talking about the importance of keeping a normal sleep cycle?"

I chuckled, wincing. "It's a monster that only shows up past midnight and under certain conditions?"

"Enough with the vagueness." He straightened up and crossed his arms. "Dawn, tell me what you've been doing the past few days. Whenever we try to bring you somewhere you say you're busy with helping Mitsui or that you really need to take a nap and that's when we can even contact you."

I looked away at the rising heat in his voice, the man managing to keep it a few ticks away from being considered enraged. "Whenever you try to take us somewhere it's always to a different floor to test something out with monsters or the markets to go window shopping, even when we have things we want to do. It's a double standard and it's starting to tick me off."

I followed his gaze out to the town, lights from within a scattering of the buildings casting shadows onto the streets. "Do you know of a group called Fūmaningun?"

"A group of self proclaimed ninjas that are known for their kill stealing and passive aggressive take overs of hunting grounds whenever they go out."

My eyes flicked to the side. It was true of course, but it was still hard to hear. "That first night while all of you were out in the «Swamp Lands» I wandered into the «Forsaken Forest», the woods surrounding the first floor Tower." I stepped away from the railing and quickly looked around, readying my hand.

"There's twelve of them, those ninja. They were all hunting down the wolves that spawned. Come midnight, a giant one suddenly appears." I dismissed my armor, doing the same to my outer clothing aside from my shirt. "It's called «Mánagarmr, Envoy of the Eclipse». And it drops this." My fingers tapped several buttons in rapid succession, glowing lights surrounding my body and coalescing into the white furred leather of the Frostborn armor. Choryu looked back at me, a light blush gracing his features.

"This stuff is good. Like, scary good." I flexed my hands, the familiar tingle of «Acrobatics» coursing through me even though I wasn't running. "A passive effect that grows stronger with each piece you equip, and each piece has around sixty upgrade attempts." I raised a clawed finger, silencing him mid shout.

"Those times that I said I was busy or needed a nap? It was probably from either collecting materials on my own or helping out a group of kids that just recently moved up to the second floor." I drew the essential trench cloak of fur up, rubbing my cheek against it. "I'm not avoiding you guys. Not really. I know it seems like it, but I'm not."

Haru stared at me silently, his expression slowly morphing into reluctant doubt. "How come I haven't heard about this yet?"

"1,000 monster kills within 24 hours of the defeat of a Floor Boss from an upper floor. When that condition is met, at the nearest stroke of midnight the monster will appear. Apparently there's a special monster for each floor, but so far they've only completed the first floor during the beta and only had a single attempt at the third floor. With those sort of conditions is it really surprising?"

My companion gave a heavy breath and turned back to the railing. "Riddle me this. Do you get into all these situations that you shouldn't be getting into because you want to die, or is staying busy like this your way of coping?."

I dismissed the armor, quickly putting my normal gear back on. "As much as I hate to admit it, my subconscious probably wants me to just fall asleep and never wake up. You know why I've been sleeping by myself the past few weeks? It's because I wake up a sobbing mess. I see their faces in my dreams. Satoru, Alex, Ally." I calmed my breathing, lighting drumming along the hilt of my weapon. "I guess seeing Diavel die that first raid set something off in me. I used to be so composed, you know? Cracking jokes, serving brews, pushing carts. And now the moment I get into a situation that even remotely seems like it could lead to violence I switch to a persona that shouldn't exist."

"Your face," he stated. At my questioning sound, "When you get into a fight, and I mean really get into a fight, your face turns cold, impassive. You look like a demon come to collect souls of the damned. That's why they call you the Demon Nin. Death in the form of an untouchable ninja that gives no quarter. Sure, you smile and joke and laugh, but when you deliver those critical strikes, you're not Dawn, you're Asasaki."

He looked away. "At some point in your life, you stopped being one and became two, a person living in a state of duality. The person who smiles and cares for everyone around her in her own special tactless way, and the person who knows only death."

I let out a shuddering breath. "Haru, you need to stop."

"I don't think I should," he continued. "You might know it, but I don't think you really Know it."

"Haru, please… I just need time." The trembling words came out as a whisper, almost inaudible to even my own ears.

The man that had no right to say those words laid a hand on my shoulder. For what felt like an eternity he stared at me. "I'm going to do the wrong thing, and for that I'm sorry." I raised my head. "You're strong. You're amazing, you're confident, and you're wonderful. But you're also damaged." His eyes softened. "And I don't think you're ever going to be able to heal until we get out of here."

"What are you saying…?" I mouthed.

"But whatever you think needs to be done, I'll support you. If that means you step back from the front lines and focus on quests or helping others, that's fine. If you think you need to be out there, fighting monsters, protecting others from things they shouldn't see or be doing, so be it." He pulled me into a hug, gently squeezing. "For all intents and purposes, we're in a war zone. It might not be filled with explosions, but we're still fighting for our lives."

"You know I was supposed to end my night happy, not depressed," I muttered into his chest.

"I'm sorry."

I pushed away, wiping away the droplets of moisture. "I don't think Klein's going to appreciate you going behind his back like this," I joked, trying to grab some measure of the joy I previously had.

"Klein's the one who asked me to talk to you." He smiled wryly. "He's more than aware you two haven't exactly been on the best of terms lately."

I sighed and tussled my hair, pulling it out of its usual bun. "I'm not going to stop going up against things I shouldn't you know."

"I know."

"But I guess I can be smarter about it. Which means waiting for people, or calling people to help me out." I rolled my eyes and met his gaze meaningfully.

"Teach me how to fight like you then. Your style is…" He looked away, face scrunching up as he searched for the word.

"Violent?" I suggested.

"I was going to say unique, but I suppose violent works too."

"You know that means me teaching you how to kill, right?" I donned my black cloak from the first floor, basking in the warmth it immediately began retaining.

"I'm prepared to learn, if it means letting you do what you want."

"Careful, keep talking like that and I'll think you're trying to become my servant." I pulled myself onto the railing, wrapping my legs around one of the poles to keep my balance.

"Considering how you treated us during those morning workouts, I feel comfortable in saying I probably already am." Haru moved in front me and smiled, a hand resting on his hip.

I snorted. "Tomorrow morning. We go find Mitsui and check up on what else she needs done around here. After that we spend the rest of the day in the forest training." I gave a lazy salute, mood significantly better now that I knew at least one person supported me.

"I'm going to regret this completely, aren't I?"

"In its entirety." I smiled. "Night, Haru."

"Good night, Dawn."

I released my hold and fell backwards, keeping the face of my newest brother in crime in sight for a few seconds before turning to slide along the face of the tree.

 _A war fought with swords and not guns._

"Nope, still can't get behind it." I grinned to myself and launched towards the rooftop of the closest building, fully aware of how much difficulty I would have going to sleep tonight.

* * *

 _Next chapter should be Nov 3rd-4th._


	18. Onus

_It will never be good enough. Not until the deadline looms over you, and even then it might not be ready. Context for this is that I'm pretty sure I was 'good to go' by Monday or Tuesday but I was waiting on a few people to read over it so i could get some early feed back. I ended up giving it another once over Friday just a few hours before my usual upload time._

* * *

Up was where the bubbles flowed. If you got lost underwater, letting go a portion of your precious air was one of the easiest ways to reorient yourself. Surrounded by steaming water that never truly contacted my skin, no sound reached my ears. None of the chatter from the camp made it through the tarps and vibrated through the liquid, no steps padding around the stone and gravel lined bath, not even a steady heartbeat pulsing in my ears that should have existed. For minutes I stayed underneath, wrapped up by my thoughts and the warmth of the natural spring. Half my health bar later I exploded out, shaking the water from my hair.

"Oh. Apologies, Human. I didn't expect anybody to be here."

I turned around to look at the NPC, taking in their lithe body. While not quite as spectacular as the bodies of my deployed comrades back in the real world, his musculature was decidedly the best I'd seen in a handful of months.

"Don't worry about it, I was thinking about leaving anyway." I tilted my head to the side and stepped out of the bath, water riveting down the toned form that blessedly stayed with me during the creation process. "While I've got you here though, do you mind getting my back?"

 _Klein is seriously going to be upset about this._

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I rubbed my fingers over the symbol of the Mitsui Trading Guild, a stylized silver sickle and mallet raised against a black background that only passingly resembled the design of the USSR of old. Without the sigils Ferghus had given us so long ago, our attempts to convince the other leaders in Tolbana to take care of the Zumfut plants would have taken infinitely longer.

"You know if you're not going to stay at the designated place, you really need to tell us." Issin reached out and ruffled my hair, dislodging the strands I had taken to pinning down.

"Sorry." I pursed my lips and silenced my annoyance, reapplying the partially crimped metal and tucking the irritance away. "I got bored and started walking around Black Iron City. Next thing I knew I found myself over here." I motioned towards the harp playing NPC, the youthful man having gone through a handful of songs over the past twenty or so minutes with small breaks in between. "You know if you listen to a full song you get a two point bonus to your agility stat?"

"I remember you mentioning something like that back in November." Issin sat down beside me, staring up at the artificial sky. "Jeeze, has it really been that long?"

"Sometimes it feels like it's been longer, hasn't it? The days blur by sometimes. All these fights that require us to give it our all so we don't get killed, it just becomes one big blob doesn't it?" Issin fell silent. I wasn't sure if what I had said resonated with him or if he thought I was just getting things off my chest.

"We don't belong here though." I reached up to the touch the cut flower one of the younger players had given me. Despite how sentimental it was, it wouldn't last past the hour. "As much as some of the people here would say otherwise, as much as the children in the orphanage act, this isn't our world." I stood up, equipping the leather armor reinforced with faded silver-white metal Shen had given me to 'better blend in with the troops of Fūmaningun'.

"Heading back off into battle, Little Miss?" Issin stared at me with an ambiguous grin, his eyes expressing a sadness I doubted he would voice.

"Always, Mr. Brush. I'll be training with Choryu and Mitsui's entourage in the «Forest of Wavering Mists». We should be back by nightfall, but we'll message you guys if anything happens."

"Asasaki." I stopped and turned around, an unspoken question on my parted lips. "Don't abuse your Developer skills too much, alright?" He joked. "You're making us look bad."

I guffawed. "Maybe you guys should up your training then. I should in no way, shape, or form be the shining example for anybody. Catch you at dinner!" When he returned my wave I set off, letting Dale know I had already informed Issin of my plans before tugging Haru through the portal.

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"So I've been wondering," I slashed through a «Treant Sapling», my weaker but more suited «Armor Splitter» leaving a vibrant marker for Asuka to trace. "What's up with you and big man Yamaguchi?"

"Absolutely nothing!" She squeaked, rapier passing perfectly through the red line.

"Methinks thou doth protest too much." I stabbed into the creature from behind, tearing my blade out in an unassisted version of «Island Birth». Asuka's follow up attack turned the malevolent sentient tree into data fragments, the tinkling explosion drowning out all sound for a brief moment. Back on the main path Haru and Asuka's two combat able companions waited silently, my gaze steadfastly on them while I guided the two of us over.

For all intents and purposes, a magic spell had been cast on the forests south of the rock wall neatly separating the northern fourth of the floor. If you walked too far from the main paths, the titular mist would slowly surround you until you couldn't see past your nose. At that moment your next step would transport you somewhere randomly in the forest. It could be avoided of course if you had the full map information and navigated each block in under ten minutes, but between the concept of 'dying here means dying irl' and how much of a time commitment was required to map out areas nobody had completed the entire floor yet.

"Do you know how many guys would kill to be in your position, Asasaki? Holding the hand of such a beautiful woman?" Haru chuckled, his laughter dying off when Yamaguchi sent a stare just a few hairs away from falling under the classification of 'glare' his way.

"Lady Mitsui and Lady Asasaki willingly entered this 'Contract' of yours and have shown nothing but goodwill towards each other for the past few weeks. It is only natural that they continue to work together so closer."

I grinned perversely at the muted whimper from behind me. "You three are up next!" I patted the arms of the taller Hibiki and walking mountain Yamaguchi. "Keep my little Bestiary safe, alright?" I giggled and strode between them, my map held open to guide us towards the south eastern corner of the forest.

"How did you two meet?" I motioned for Haru to handle Yamaguchi's question, directing us off the path and directly south into an unmapped zone.

"We actually met through Klein, our guild's commander. You remember him, right? About a head taller than Hibiki, muted red hair, and a red and yellow bandana around his head? The first day they brought me out onto the fields north of Black Iron City we stumbled across this little ninja dancing around one of the boars like it was a child."

"Don't sound like I couldn't do the same to you," I interrupted, gesturing for them to move a little closer.

"Anyway, she's fighting like she normally does. Sword flicks, light jabs, vicious stabs and cutting throats, but the entire time she's not using any of her «Sword Skills»."

"Your Mystic Arts, correct?" Hibiki asked uncertainly.

"We've never called it that, but yeah."

"Yes!" I cheered to myself, shoving their conversation to the side. With what was perhaps the largest amount of glee I'd had all week I ran onto the barren foot path and performed a small jig, smoothly transitioning from several different motions to an unheard song.

Haru stared at me, mortification and what I presumed to be awe vying for control. "Please never do that again."

"You're just jealous you can't move like me." Without hesitation I broke into the relevant song and dance, winking at Haru before returning to my current position of 'forward'.

After a few second of silence he spoke back up, continuing on as if nothing has happened. "Klein decides to take pity on the poor woman and teach her how to work with all of our magic abilities. Eventually she ended up teaching us how to fight properly and gave us all some routines to do every day to get better at the basics."

"And would you say it's helped?" I felt a pair of eyes settle on my neck, my foot stumbling for a fraction of a second. It was a little frightening how much presence Yamaguchi could command.

The silence dragged on longer than I appreciated. "Yes. I didn't really notice the first month, but these days I don't really need to think all that much about what I need to do. I mean, I still have to plan stuff out, but I'm no longer really thinking about my strikes as opposed to just doing them."

I stilled and raised a fist. Behind me armor rattled, likely the result of the still unlearned Haru colliding with one of the Explorers.

"Is something wrong?"

I tilted my head towards the others, directing my question towards Yamaguchi. "You hear that?"

The man closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Metal on metal," he whispered.

"Why would Swordsmen be fighting each other?" Hibiki asked. "I was under the assumption you had an uneasy truce at worst."

I fully turned around and met Haru's gaze, my weapon shimmering into the longer length of Isuke's creation. "Do you trust me?"

Haru blinked. After a second his face hardened and he nodded. "I told you last night that I'll support whatever decision you make."

"Choryu, keep eyes on me. Yamaguchi, Hibiki, Mitsui, follow Choryu. We're treating this as a hostile situation. The objective is whoever's losing. Do what needs to be done." When the steely countenances of our NPC allies nodded I shot off, bee lining towards the sounds of combat.

Two things immediately came to my attention when I burst through the brush. The first was that the two combatants were far more trained than any other Swordsman I had seen. The second was that the taller, dark skinned one was pressing every advantage against his more nimble but weaker foe.

 _ **Your mind's made up?**_

 _Was there ever a question? We fight for those that can't defend themselves, for a future for the betterment of all._

An elegant looking longsword crashed against the flat of my «Tormenting Reaver», the blade shoved to the side. Metal capped ivory slammed into the general region of his solar plexus, a push kick sending him stumbling back.

"Human…" The man's scowling lips twitched, miniscule arcs of yellow static briefly travelling across his torso. "This does not concern you. Leave, before I show you your place."

"A man pushing around another where words could serve just as well as swords. I think this concerns me." I flicked my sword into a ready position, feet inching into a more defensive stance.

"Then so be it." The man pulled back and moved his shield forward, a shining blue travelling up the length of his sword.

 _I don't recognize that skill._

I narrowed my eyes, left hand moving into a bear claw. An angry tingle settled into the limb, my focus never leaving my opponent.

The dark skinned shield user ran forward, his blade still infuriatingly chambered. Only when he neared did the weapon start shifting, his feet subtly preparing for a full body twist. Glowing a bright neon orange, my left hand snapped across my body and backhanded the strike away. At the same time my right unleashed «Twilt Horizon», my opponent's eyes bulging in surprise.

The empowered knifehand «Embracer» stabbed through his breastplate, another system assisted stab machine gunning out. With the mechanics of the game aided by my own motions, I performed a picturesque backflip, my left leg kicking my opponent into the air. Intent guiding my body into the next position, mind and numbers launched after him, sword spearing the significantly armored assailant. Silence reigned supreme as we landed, the man letting out a wet cough when I pulled my weapon out and retreated. "You…" he glared at me, chest heaving, "are not like the others."

"Of course I'm not. I have Skill." I kept my eyes on him, slowly strafing to the right so that the arrival of Choryu and the others would end up flanking his rear. "Stand down. This doesn't need to end in death."

"My name is Daifayel, soldier of Lysula, and I do not negotiate with Forest Elves nor their allies!"

I shifted into a more aggressive stance, finally noting the dark red icon above his head with flickering purples splotches. "I am Dawn Lakewood of Fūrinkazan. Make your peace, Daifayel. Today you breathe your last."

 _Klein is going to kill me for this._

The Dark Elf charged forward, both his true reach hidden by the closeness of his weapons. I prepared myself to sidestep, something I found unnecessary when a massive kiteshield smacked the smaller shield user away.

"Negotiations failed. Target must be subdued," I stated, moving to Yamaguchi's side. "You have lead, I'll back you up." I took a breath and raised my voice. "Choryu, eyes on target! Hibiki, Mitsui, protect the objective!" Armor and footsteps responded to my commands, Yamaguchi squaring up as the elf rose.

"I will not fall here. Gods, guide my blade!" The Dark Elf stormed forward, shield glowing an angry red. I slipped to the side as the Captain of the Tolbana Guard met his charge, the two exchanging a rapid series of blows and blocks that could only have been born from years of experience.

I ran in from the Elf's left and kicked at the back of his knee, swiftly dropping into the motions for «Chronal Moon» and allowing Yamaguchi the opportunity to bring his unique single handed greatsword down like an axe. With a quick one handed cartwheel I straddled the prone Daifayel, drawing my blade across his throat and stabbing through rapid succession.

A sudden impact blurred my vision and sent me flying. As I struggled to rise to my feet, a voice called for me to dodge. My mudddled mind supplied the idea that I was suffering from a debuff, something only confirmed by the doubled images converging too late into the charging form of our enemy.

Cold numbness blossomed from my stomach, an enraged grin seeping across my face. "What is with you bastards," my right hand grabbed ahold of the elf's, holding the limb in place, "and goring me through my bowels!?" Bone met cartilage, the elf stumbling back in pain that only NPC's could feel. I pulled the dagger out and tackled the male to the ground, abusing my additional weight to topple him over.

Over and over my stolen weapon was driven through his head, the elf finally responding by punching me away with his shield once again. "If I can't finish the scum, then I'll just finish you!" The triple forms of Daifayel ran at me, their now unburdened shield arm tearing something from his neck.

My name was screamed from two places, my mind dismissing the noise from my focus. Two, three paces. My right leg propelled me forward, left shoulder slamming into the elf's torso. A knifehand gutted him, the green glow from his hand gaining intensity. Another flip kick and «Hunting Prey» was unleashed once again. «Tormenting Blow» looped into my opponent several times. With a mechanical wind up and echoing kiai, «Waning Moon» knocked the elf back several feet, his body rolling along the ground before the glow reached a fever pitch and exploded out, rebounding back towards him after a distance.

I clicked my tongue, picking up the dropped weapons once my ruined sight restored itself. "Choryu, remind me to train with the Ol'dekhaan some? That's twice in what's probably 24 hours that I've taken significant damage and I am not okay with that." I pulled out a potion from my inventory, downing the bitter drink in three gulps.

"Are you alright, Lady Asasaki?" Yamaguchi was blinking forcefully as he hesitantly approached me, his body still in a defensive stance.

"I've been better," I responded. I dismissed the dagger and sword to my inventory, making a note to hand them to Haru and Tetsuo respectively when I had the time. "Oi, Forest Elf. What'd you do to set off that guy, anyway?"

The man in question flinched back, stepping forward at Asuka's reassuring pat. "I-I was supposed to try and meet with one of the Dark Elves to discuss a treaty. B-but when I met him he started attacking me and wouldn't let me get a word in." The elf reminded me of Haru, sharing the same nervous tic of looking at anything that wasn't his conversational partner.

"What's your name, son?" Yamaguchi sheathed his blade on his back and massaged his eyes, finally removing whatever had been bothering them.

"Iyasue. And I'm not a kid! I'm 130 years old!"

I rolled my eyes. "Isn't that 'barely aware of the world' in elven terms?" I asked, looking through the items I had just acquired.

The dark haired elf shuffled, giving off a groan from what was most probably embarrassment. "I-I should probably be heading back to my superiors now and inform them what happened."

"We could escort you back if you'd like. The creatures in these woods aren't exactly the friendliest." Haru gave smile amicably, gently shaking me from my thoughts.

The elf looked at the five of us, a sigh heralding his decision. "I don't think the Sergeant will like this, but okay." He eyed me for a moment, shaking his head. "Keep close. If you lose sight of me, I won't spend the effort to track you down."

I tuned out the voices of my companions, instinctively taking lead. Under the guide of the Forest Elf, my map had become completely obscured by mist, not even my attempts to look at the expanded version giving me any insight to where we were.

In time we passed through a barely visible circle of arcane script, the entrance to the instanced zone almost fully disguised by the fog that permeated the woods. The suspicions of the two guardsmen bearing two handed greatswords barely faded even after Iyasue's badge granted us passage.

The elf brought us into the center of the camp, stopping at the entrance to a large tent. "I'll talk to the Sergeant, let him know what's going on. You five stay here for now. Don't move, don't talk to anybody, and just-" The elf let out a strangled breath and stepped through the tarp.

"Child," I sung.

"Asasaki, I think we should take his word and not talk?" Haru whispered, furtively glancing around at the elven forces staring at us.

"Relax. We're us. We have this handled." I folded an arm behind my head and eyed the ring I had claimed from the Forest Elf, the accessory adding a small amount of armor and +2 to stealth while in forested areas. When I hit level 20 and picked up either Sprint or Hiding, the effects of the Frostborn armor would give me a field day whenever I opted to hang around wooded areas.

Iyasue's head peeked through the fabric that acted as a door, once again taking in our faces. "Oh good. You're still alive. Come in, the Sergeant will see you now."

I shot my player companion a grin, following after the brunet. The inside of the tent was fairly luxurious for belonging at what felt more like an outpost more than a base. A large pole stood in the center, smaller supports ringing the space in an octagonal setup.

"Thank you for protecting my messenger. I am Feylaar, I command the troops at this camp." The significantly stockier elf gave a grateful nod from his sitting position, his voice and features appearing so stoic it was reminiscent of the normal patterns of NPC's. "I understand that one of you are among the fabled Swordsmen?"

I cleared my throat and nudged Haru. "That would be the two of us." I gave a miniscule curtsey, keeping eye contact the entire time.

"That is good to hear." Feylaar closed his eyes. "Are you aware of the incidents that have occurred recently?"

"Not particularly," I lied. Kirito and Asuna had made their rounds here a week or two ago, but our particular experience with the 3rd floor Elven quest line seemed far too unique for me to make any assumptions.

"The Jade Key that the Dark Elves have long since protected in this region has been transported to the floors above. On top of that, the Fallen Elves have taken over our Spirit Tree. Communications to our brethren above have been cut off, and camp by camp we are being eliminated."

"The Dark Elven troops have also been reduced significantly here. Our butterflies have caught sight of them making their way towards their Spirit Tree to the east. From what we've gathered there's still a token force around, but it's still enough to not make aggressive actions worthwhile." Iyasue jumped when he realized he had spoken out of turn, glancing at his commander before shuffling to the side in nervousness.

"Peace, Iyasue." The sergeant. "I understand that you likely have your own troubles, Swordsmen, but might we ask for your assistance in reclaiming that which we have lost?"

I shared a look with Haru, internally groaning when he passed the decision to me. "What do we get out of this? You get some lost land and the remains of your forces, but as for us?"

Feylaar raised a brow, vexation briefly showing. "Would safe passage and rest in our lands, the alliance of our people, and a chance to stop a plot that could result in the destruction of Aincrad suffice?"

I took a breath and nodded my head to the side, forgetting that I was essentially the acting representative of the Players and not a freelance mercenary like I normally was. "Very well. We shall aide you in your endeavors."

"Thank you, Swordsmen." Feylaar gave another head bow. "I shall begin preparations for the first reclamation of our lost forces. Iyasue, if you would show them to a place where they may rest. I shall send a messenger when we are ready." The dark haired scout gave a quick bow and stepped forward, bringing us to a somewhat large tent along the western portion of the camp.

"For now it would be best if you stayed in here. When it was discovered that the Swordsmen were aiding the Dark Elves, our people ended up developing a bit of distaste towards your kind." The elf fidgeted and looked from side to side, looking at all of us except for me. "For what its worth, I hope we can have a good relationship together. With your skills, I'm sure we can take back what is rightfully ours." Iyasue bowed once again and scurried off, his dagger-breaching sword length bouncing against his leg.

"You know in retrospect I probably should have asked you guys if you were okay with this." I pushed open the tarp, holding it open for my companions to head inside.

"'Sergeant Feylaar' singled you two out. I think the three of us will be fine. But yes, I do not appreciate going over our heads like that." Yamaguchi gave me a fairly intimidating look, one that would have had me breaking into a cold sweat if he held any actual power over me.

"Asasaki, I want you to work on that deal and get me some elven plans of some kind. Armor, weapons, even cuisine." Asuka smiled amusedly. "Do that and I'll help you as far as you want." With a wink she ducked in, Hibiki following after.

"Great job, Dawn," I muttered to myself. "Dragged four people that you aren't even that close to into helping out a bunch of strangers because you were put on the spot. You are _such_ an amazing leader." I rolled my eyes and stepped into the tent, a surprised grunt escaping my lips at the unexpected size.

"So I've been thinking," Haru rolled over, his armor surreptitiously missing. "If they said that these 'Fallen Elves' have been taking down their forces, do you think this tent used to belong to someone else? Or rather, someones?"

"Probably." My fellow estrogen laden companion rubbed her hand across the high quality fur laid out on the ground, a small stack of thick fabrics resting beside her. "That just means whatever we do for these elves, we need to do for the former residents of this tent as well."

I smiled and shook my head, walking around the iron hearth in the center. Unceremoniously I sat down, laying claim to a rug of white fur that didn't quite reach the splendor of the Frostborn armor. "Fallen Elves, Dark Elves, tactical strikes. Sounds like I just invited ourselves into a war." Yamaguchi and Hibiki gave me significant stares. "If you guys want to back out once we finish this first assignment, I won't hold it against you. You don't exactly have the same protections we do, even if I'm sure you could hold you own against whatever we come across." I grinned wryly at the Captain, mentally replaying a specific scene that made my body tingle with glee.

He scoffed. "Lady Mitsui has stated that so long as you procure something out of this arrangement that she can use for the advancement of our people, we will assist you. If that means we must first show a measure of good faith, then so be it."

I chuckled, eyeing the woman in question. "A-anyway! Do you really think we're going to be stuck in here until we get called?" Asuka sat up and began playing with the fabrics, doing her best to seem intrigued by the material.

"You might, but I'm not." I dismissed my armor into my inventory, leaving me clad in the durable brown pants and long sleeve green shirt made from cotton originating from the second floor. "I don't exactly care for passive aggressive behavior. As far as I'm concerned, these guys just need somebody showing them that sort of attitude will get them nowhere." I swapped out my Reaver for my Armor Splitter, the weapon much less obtrusive even when sheathed. I walked over to Haru, kneeling down so I wouldn't be overheard. "If you start seeing my health bar go down, prepare everybody, alright?" When Haru managed a confused response I exited the tent, a quiet tune playing in my throat.

 _There you are~_

I jogged over to an elf that seemed fairly unoccupied. Or at least as far as walking around armored with sheathed weapons could pass as unoccupied. "Excuse me!" The Forest Elf took a half step back and stared at me with wide eyes, his head lowering to meet my gaze. "I don't suppose you guys have a bathing area around here? See, I worked up a huge sweat over in the forest and would absolutely love being able to-"

"Northernmost part of the camp. Blue circle with lines on the entrance." The elf strode off, appearing fairly aggravated by my presence.

Unfazed by his barely concealed hostility I continued my humming, a wall of humidity flowing over me when I entered the specified tent. "Please be something large enough that I can sit in." I began removing my clothing, folding them up into a woven basket and placing it on the highest shelf I could reach. On the right side of the preparation room a table holding a basket of soap blocks stood, a pile of towels resting on either side of it.

"Much nicer than any base shower I've been in, that's for sure," I mused. I tossed one of the towels over my shoulder and stepped into the next room. Obscured by a thick haze of vapor, the floor was tiled by smooth, flat rocks. In the center of the room a large body of water flowed farther north, the continuous stream running down the guided slope and underneath the tarp.

I set my towel and soap beside a small stool, filling up two of the wooden buckets with spring water. "This place probably takes the top spot for best bath I've been in the entire time I've been here." I dipped my arms into one of the buckets, procedurally wetting my entire body.

 _The Elven quest line goes on from the third floor all the way up to the ninth._

I closed my eyes, humming a slowed down theme of twin harbingers of death.

 _Kirito and Asuna have already completed this floor's questline and the next, working directly with a Dark Elf known as Kizmel._

I brought the soap over my skin, simple humming turning into gentle throat singing.

 _Quests are supposed to be instanced. If one party aided the Dark Elves and another aided the Forest Elves, both might compete for resources but aside from time, nothing would be truly lost. Both parties would be able to finish their respective stories without any complications that should arise from conflicting events._

I dipped my hands back into the water, washing the suds and imaginary grime off before doing the same to the rest of my body.

 _When that Dark Elf died, I should have found a Jade Key among his remains. When he pulled his final gambit, the Forest Elf should have interrupted his charge and passed on his final orders._

I ran my fingers through my hair, massaging my scalp. In lieu of shampoo, I had taken to working the natural oils that should have existed in the follicles, merely rinsing away any particles that sould have been stuck in it were this actual reality and not the digital creation of a madman.

 _And yet I find myself in the camp of the Forest Elves. Brought here by an NPC that should have died, and given a quest line that seems to directly follow what Kirito and Asuna are doing._

The final bucket of water flowed over my head, fingers brushing the biggest of the rivulets away.

 _Is this because of «Contract»? Because I met the Dark Elves on the 4th floor when I hadn't actually touched their quest line yet?_

I stared at the ground, water plinking to the floor as if time itself was awaiting an answer. "None of this makes sense," I breathed. "Satoru, you were good at stuff like this. What would you do?" I sighed and stood, returning the buckets back to their wall.

I stepped into the stone and gravel lined spring, letting out a pleased moan at the warmth of the water. The wrongness from being an incomplete tactile sensation was ever present, but the additional features that deactivating the «Moral Code» feature made up for it, however slightly. I continued walking forward, stopping at the flat center where only my head was above the surface.

 _NPC's breaking the natural pattern, showing martial skills that would utterly decimate anybody who didn't have the same amount of experience as them, a storyline that feels like it was written directly in response to the actions of two children?_

"This whole thing is just one huge mess." I took a breath and dove under, bringing my head to my knees as I continued to ponder the situation.

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A long moan escaped my lips, slowly turning into piteous mewling from the sensations I had I long been yearning for. "It's not fair," I whined. "I've been trying to do this on my own for the past two months and then suddenly you show up and turn me into putty." A sharp inhalation. The air left my lungs over the course of seconds, a wave of pleasure spreading out from his ministrations.

"Truthfully, I'm glad I am able to practice my other craft again. The men here have long since stopped asking me for my more physical skills. They say 'it is a distraction from their duties'."

"I can- Ngh! see why." I buried my head in my arms, focusing on the feel of his hands dancing and pressing against my muscles. Where my previous attempts to massage myself ended in nothing more than a feeling of the expected looseness, Saruya's actions brought about popping joints and melting knots. "Having something as distracting as this available at their request while they're in the middle of a conflict would be incredibly distracting if I was in their place."

"The Sergeant said as much, though that hasn't stopped the rare elf from above requesting something other than a resupply of their medicinal potions." The Forest Elf chuckled, grunting as he put forth more effort into my shoulder blade. "Odd though. Is this a Swordsman specific thing or are all humans such tightly wound bundles of stress?"

"Truth be told it's probably just a-" my breathing hitched, a pleasured groan embarrassingly interrupting me, "me thing." I fell silent, spreading my right arm to the side. "There's been some stuff going on that I'd rather not talk about at the moment."

"Mm. Then what would you like to talk about?" The Elf moved off me, pulling my arm into his lap and forcing my hand to involuntarily flex as he continued working his magic.

"Me being new to the area, do you happen to have somebody capable of repairing weapons or armor around here?"

"Only repairs. As the base forward camp all soldiers return here for any maitenance that they can't perform themselves. Unfortunately, after we received word that two Swordsman were assisting the Dark Elves and were even reported to have slain some of our comrades I doubt he would be willing to assist you, even if you are aiding our cause."

I hummed in understanding and moved my right arm back under my head, letting him work my left without any resistance. "Such a terrible thing though, to have the enemy cut your forces down through guerilla warfare."

"Is that what you humans call it?"

"The act of using small, mobile forces to take down vital groups and resources, slowly whittling away at the enemy's morale and troops? It's a relatively modern term, but yes." I let out another sigh, sitting up and moving into a series of stretches on my own. "Thank you for this, Mister Saruya, truly."

"Think nothing of it, Miss Asasaki. If I must be honest, the idea that my kin in the other camps will be avenged is incentive enough for me to help you." The elf moved back onto his calves, hands folded in his lap.

"Is there anything else I can do for you in exchange?" I asked, a drunken smile forming at how utterly loose I felt.

"If you happen to find any still leaves from those treants in the forest, I would not mind taking them off your hands." The elf placed a bar of soap in my hand and quietly took a seat on the stool I had previously used. "In the few decades I've been assigned down here I've done all I could to see what sort of tinctures I could make from them, but the magic of the Spirit Tree means that we cannot fell the trees, even if they have become monsters."

"I'll keep that in mind." I scrubbed at his back, desperately hoping that my unaided motions would return some measure of the pleasure he had given me. "Speaking of potions, do you dabble in poisons? There was a human herborist I'd been meaning to visit but never found time to. I was debating on the merits of coating my weapons before going into battle."

"I know of a few concoctions I could make from resources you could find in the forest. Unfortunately, I do not know the recipes off the top of my head. But when you return from your outing I should be able to give you a list."

"That would be greatly appreciated." I smiled, pouring a measure of the bucket onto his back.

"Miss Asasaki I- Oh!" Just as rapidly as they entered, footsteps exited the bathing area. "Sergeant Feylaar called for you several minutes ago! Your companions have all gathered!" The flustered voice of Iyasue carried through the fog, a blush likely laying claim to his face.

"I'll be there in five minutes!" I called.

"Make it three!" The male hurriedly ran off, the ruffling of the tarp echoing in the silence.

"Looks like my relaxation period is over." I let out a deep breath, reluctant to exit the room.

"But at least you were able to forget about your troubles for a time. Refines the mind and allows one to greater appreciate what they have, wouldn't you say?" The herborist walked over to the spring, a joyed sigh reaching my ears.

I chuckled. "Too true. Until next time, Mister Saruya."

"Until next time, Miss Asasaki."

I padded back into the dressing area, toweling off the droplets that had condensed on my skin. With my mind emptied from the pseudo meditation Saruya had provided I slipped my clothing back on, armor coalescing onto my body as I made my way back to the main tent.

"How kind of you to join us, Lady Asasaki." Yamaguchi's gaze lazed over to me, a disapproving look that should not have effected me as much as it did forcing me to grin in an attempt to hide my shame.

"Sorry, I lost track of time."

"See to it that it does not happen again, Swordsman. I am grateful for your skills and assistance, but I will not suffer tardiness." I nodded, barely stopping myself from snapping out a quick salute. "This is Corporal Hafuyo and Private Kesano. They will be guiding you to our lost camp in the east. The most recent intel we have is that there are several Fallen Elves maintaining a hold there."

Feylaar glanced away. "It is likely that they are searching for a fragment that all leaders in this region were given, if they have not found it already. It is a small golden piece with straight edges. Alone they do nothing, but together they can create the beginnings of a miracle." The elf brought forth a piece of rectangular metal from behind his breastplate. "Additionally, we'd like for you to recover as many Memento Tags as possible. All knights of Kales'oh are given them. Their bodies may no longer be around due to the magic of Aincrad, but with their names and history we can grant them a proper memorial service. Hafuyo and Kesano know what to look for in terms of the fragment; once the camp is cleared you should make sure it stays that way until they retrieve it."

I filed the use of this world away. The first time was likely an accident, but the second required looking into. "Alright. Clear the camp, recover the tags, buy enough time for our assistants to retrieve this 'fragment'."

The Forest Elf nodded in affirmation. "Leave as soon as you are able. There will be a busy day ahead of us. If the Fallen learn of our actions they will turn their attention here. Dismissed." This time my body snapped a salute, leading my group out the tent in a drilled fashion.

"I wasn't aware you had that kind of training, Lady Asasaki."

I grunted and flicked through my inventory, double checking the contents of my pouches and quick access bar. "Around nine years or so. Some stuff happened that required me to retire, but after spending that long in there a lot of habits never really go away."

"I guess you'll still be in charge of our group then, huh, Asasaki?" Asuka cocked her head, hand resting on her hip.

"That is if all of you are fine with it. I certainly wouldn't object if anybody wanted to step up to the plate." I made a noise of realization at the Tolbanian's questioning looks. "It's a Swordsman saying based around a sport. It means taking responsibility."

"As comfortable as it would be to have Captain Yamaguchi take command, I believe that you have the most experience in dealing with the threats we might come up against. We Explorers have a…" Hibiki made a displeased face, "limited grasp on how to properly deal with all these monsters. If you let us know what you'd like, we can work around it."

I smirked. "Just my style." Our elven guides stepped out from the tent, the two sharing a look before moving towards our group.

"We'll be waiting at the gate when you're ready," the green haired one I recalled as Hafuyo said.

"We're actually good to go now." I dismissed my interface, the screen closing in on itself vertically. "Everything we have on us is all we brought."

The presumable elder of the two gave a small sneer, his gaze lingering on the platemail of the Black Iron Kingdom natives. "I'll scout ahead then. Private Kesano will stay back and guide you. If you moved with me, your armor would give our position away."

I covered my choked laughter by clearing my throat a few times, the same line of thought having occurred to me while I led my companions around in the forest. Barely a step into following the elves, Haru's hand pulled me back slightly.

"Dawn, I know I'm not exactly somebody you can rely on just yet, but do you want me by your side once any combat starts?" He whispered.

I nodded. "I'll try to avoid getting too personal with anybody. Look for any openings I end up creating." Hafuyo, and by proxy Kesano, led us around the forest for perhaps half an hour, motioning for us to stop moving several times when either monsters or players neared our position. By their words 'getting caught up in the troubles of others would only delay us'.

After a time Hafuyo finally rejoined the six of us, a grim look on his face. "There are eight Fallen in the camp. They've rifled through all the tents and thrown out everything of note. There appears to be no survivors." The elf adjusted his arm guards before looking at us. "Kesano and I will engage from the back. I want you five coming in from the front once they're distracted. All their attention will be on us when we begin, so try not to waste time by staring at the sky or whatever you humans do with your atrociously short life spans. Give us ten seconds once the commotion starts." With that the two elves slunk off, their movements barely making a sound.

Yamaguchi turned towards me, quietly drawing his sword off his back."Lady Asasaki, what are your orders?"

"Choryu and I will take the left." I glanced towards my map, clicking my tongue when the screen gave me nothing to work with. "Captain Yamaguchi, bring your group in from the right. Give it your all, but keep an eye out. There has to be reinforcements somewhere. There's no way eight people would just be milling about without somebody in charge hiding around somewhere." We divided into our groups, awaiting at the edges of the route that led into the rock based palisades of the camp.

The instant a war cry rang out, I started counting down. "10, move!" I surged forward, «Tormenting Reaver» baying for the tinkling of data. Behind me armor clanged, Yamaguchi and Hibiki's armor doing them no favors in the stealth department.

The layout of the camp was a much simpler version of the one Iyasue had brought us to. A large tent in the center with numerous tents ringed around it, each with their tarps facing the center. "Choryu, stay back and let me lure!" Without waiting for his acknowledgement I charged closer to one of the purple themed elves, letting loose the dual hitting horizontal strike known as «Imperial Divide».

The strike brought forth a snarl, the elf and one of his companions suddenly turning around and staring me down. "Human filth, you will die here!"

I smirked and batted away their strikes with both blade and hand, my health dipping by mere percents thanks to the personally honed ability that some might call 'deflecting'. "Your one liners need some work," I taunted, rolling back away from the conflict. "Not like I can say any better, but you know." I charged back in, purposely avoiding any sword skills so I could keep up with my two aggressors.

 _Any moment now, Haru…_

The moment I noticed the flickering form of my crouched companion sneaking in I dropped into a Chronal Moon, carrying the motion through into a full circle and firing off a Crescent Moon at my now single target. Behind me the shlick of metal stabbing through flesh reached my ears, Haru bringing his blade upon on my dropped aggressor two more times before backing off.

I batted the longsword of the «Fallen Elf Sentry» away, quickly snapping out an unassisted roundhouse at his right knee that was coiled and chambered into a hook kick at his head. NPCs felt pain, Asuka had told me. It was dulled and it was muted, but it wasn't the numb void that players felt.

I stabbed my blade through the elf's unprotected stomach, lunging forward a step and unleashing the uppercut «Flash Blow», knocking the demonic looking elf into the air. A fraction of a second passed. My free hand snaked out and tugged the elf towards me by his outstretched arm, pulling his head directly into the length of my blade. I pulled my sword out and to the side, the still very much living elf collapsing to the floor. A quick stomp to the skull and another stab rectified that, bringing forth a crackling sheet of data and streams of purple smoke.

"Asasaki, a little help?!" Haru brought his dagger to his cheek, the blade gaining a fiery orange glow before neatly deflecting a cyan «Vertical» from the elf, the man dashing forward to bury his still glowing weapon through the elf's chestpiece.

"Give me a break!" I stepped back and brought my sword to my navel, left hand resting over my right. As one, system and mind sprinted forward, my weapon spearing through where the scout's kidney should be. "I've been working alone the past few days." My weapon was pulled out in an overhead arc, light green trailing in its wake.

"Yeah, well," Three slashes sounded out, the elf stuck from both the pain registering and two separate aggressors, "get used to it, we need you!"

My sword fell down in the curved blade variant of Vertical, the aptly named «Lumbar Desecration» marking the elf's spine with red before it too fell to the ground in a heap. "There, was that so hard?"

"Less flirting and more fighting, please!" Mitsui's voice pulled my attention towards her, Hibiki smoothly intercepting a stab with his buckler.

"Why can't I do both?!" I shot forward to lend my aid, Haru's footfalls never far behind. A long dark piece of metal suddenly stopped me in my tracks, the tang protruding through my seeming vaguely oriental in design. "Why is it always the stomach?" I whispered, catching myself atop a stack of crates with an «Ukemi» when I was flung to the side.

The newcomer was fairly slimmer compared to the rest of the Fallen Elves. Smaller in both stature and muscle mass, the glaive at his side was almost comically long. Without another word the weapon flicked out, bypassing even the defensive half of Haru's «Lair of the Arachnid». Giving a pained cry that was more reflex than actual response, Haru shuffled back, his hand clutching at the trapezius that should have been severed.

"You alright?" I called out, entering a ready stance.

"One more hit then I pot!" He returned.

«Zarak'thuul, Fallen Elf Praetor» glanced at the two of us before charging at Haru, his weapon glowing green. "Eyes on me!" I charged in with a shoulder barge, attempting to kick his left leg out with the assisted roundhouse «Water Moon». A heavy, metal covered pole slammed into my arm, the weapon rapping against me twice before knocking me down with a wide horizontal spin. I rolled onto my stomach, pushing myself up hurriedly. The leather garbed elf stalked towards the dagger user, purple mist steaming off his body..

 _What the hell's up with his fixation on Haru?_

I ran in once more, side stepping the expected attack. The redirected polearm was blocked by my forearm, my hand wrapping around the shaft and yanking its owner towards me. Zarak'thuul jerked me back, his right fist blocked by my sword wielding left. With a growl the demonic leader stumbled forward, a quick flurry of system aided thrusts allowing Haru time to recover from whatever sword skill he had used.

"Oof!" I manually rolled backwards onto my feet, screaming at my mind that the pain from the heel led front kick was entirely fictional. My eyes flicked towards my health bar, annoyance letting itself be heard.

 _Over 30% to me and the prick still has the nerve to sit at 90?!_

I grit my teeth, slowly strafing to the left. With the Fallen Elves displaying the same kind of mix ups I did, utilizing both normal strikes and sword skills in spades, I dared not use my own self-freezing abilities. Not without having an opening first provided by Haru and possibly another two allies.

Out of nowhere blade clashed against shaft, Hafuyo's short sword almost managing to cut into Zarak'thuul's head. With a sneer the Fallen Elf kicked Hafuyo away, his right hand clutching something at his chest. My eyes went wide, mind desperately calling upon the useless tingle that would never aide me on even ground. Without a sound purple fire exploded outwards, a sensation of filthy wrongness claiming all thoughts.

When it disappeared, the Praetor was nowhere to be found. Where he once stood the ground turned a flaky grey the shade of ash. Around the camp the still smoking bodies of the slain Fallen continued their dispseral, an oddity that I filed away for later thought.

"Are they normally that strong?" I questioned, downing a potion. Across from me Mitsui and her retinue were doing the same, their clay bottles significantly more decorated than our simple glass ones.

"The Fallen are elves that centuries ago attempted to unite with the Spirit Trees in order to make themselves resistance to blades. They of course failed to an extent and were banished from their respective tribes. While we've seen rumors of them, it's only recently that they've shown their faces." Hafuyo gave a disgusted look, gingerly pushing the head of one of the corpses with a foot. "Swordsman, have your people keep an eye on the surroundings. Kesano and I will check the main tent. Hopefully they haven't found the fragment." Without waiting for my assent the two Forest Elves walked off, leaving the five of us surrounded by the fading corpses of our enemies.

"Everybody alright?" I quickly began cataloging everybody. Aside from mediocre dents in the armor of Yamaguchi and Hibiki the three NPC's seemed perfectly fine, if a bit winded.

"Ten toes, ten fingers, one ponytail," Mitsui beamed, sheathing her parrying dagger with a flourish. "All good from me."

I looked to the side. "Quick question, has everybody here killed before?"

Yamaguchi rolled a shoulder, his heavy looking sword moving around like it weighed nothing. "Nothing quite so similar to us humans, but the three of us are old enough to have seen the brutalities of life."

I turned my gaze onto Haru, the man shrugging. "Can't say I'm happy with their bodies still being here without digitising, but they're our enemies. If I didn't do it to them they would have done to it either you or me."

I let out a slow breath. "Right. Set up in a pentagonal formation. Make sure you can see those to your left and right. Yamaguchi, do me a favor and set up in front of the entrance to this tent?" I jabbed a thumb at the central construct, the Butler-Knight heading off with a nod. "Keep your eyes and ears open, people. Zarak'thuul might come back with reinforcements.

In the end our precautions were unnecessary. Corporal Hafuyo and Private Kesano didn't say a word about whether or not they found the fragment, instead directing us to search through the remains of the camp for any Memento Tags for several minutes before calling for a retreat.

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I stared at the piece of metal, just one among nearly a dozen that we had recovered. A thin but extremely durable length of twine threaded through it to create a necklace. The letterings were unknown to me, but Sergeant Feylaar requested that I personally deliver it to Saruya. 'A promise is a promise', he had stated. I took a breath and steeled myself.

I was never (un)fortunate enough to have to be part of a death notification group on either end of the spectrum. It was above my pay grade, and my entire family was lucky enough to have had all our members come back alive. Injured and possibly mentally damaged, but alive and recovering.

 _No beating around the bush. Skip the euphemisms. Specifically use the word 'dead'. Make sure they have somebody they can talk to._

I cleared my throat. "Mister Saruya? Are you in there?" The man's voice responded, inviting me in. I was hit by a wave of subtle scents. Unlike Hilde's shop, Saruya's was more flowery, like walking into a greenhouse or the garden of a home improvement store. There was still an assortment of chemical flasks and burners but none of them held any liquid.

"Ah. Hello, Miss Asasaki. How was your trip?" The elf turned to face me, a book and writing instrument laid open at his desk.

"It went about as well as anybody could expect. No casualties or injuries, though I should double check on two of my companions. I suspect it's their first real brush with killing sentient beings that look and act like us, even if they say they'll be fine and understand the situation." I gave my thanks at his offer to sit on the crate in front of him. "The Fallen are pretty scary things, aren't they?"

"Former Elves corrupted by the power they thought would bless them." Saruya shook his head. "I can't say I feel any pity for them. We have rules in place for a reason. Going around breaking them only invites catastrophe."

I hunched over slightly, closing my eyes for a moment before straightening. "Mister Saruya, Sergeant Feylaar wanted me to give this to you. I know it's not everybody, but I suppose it's a start." I let go of the metal, the corded material hanging from my middle finger.

Saruya's eyes widened imperceptibly. "I- thank you." He held his hand out, graciously receiving the remnant of his brother. "Amaryn would give his gratitude if he could." The man rubbed his thumb over the brass plating, absorbing the engraved words that only an elf could read.

"The sergeant said that we'll be sent back out once the other scouts come back." I looked away. "Since the leader from the one we raided escaped, we're expecting to have a higher amount of resistance the longer we take. To that end, we're only allowed to choose one more base from the Western and Southern locations."

"And I suppose you're wondering if I could provide any insight as to which one my other brother would have been assigned to." I nodded. "Unfortunately, with my being a non-combatant, I haven't been informed as to the assignment of our troops, even if they were my brothers." Saruya sighed and pocketed the memorabilia. "How are you on potions?"

"I'm still stocked up on them." I patted one of my pouches, what Klein referred to as 'the closest to hotkeys we'll get in this world'.

"That's good. If you ever need more, don't be afraid to come ask me. Killing the malevolent trees here is one thing, collecting plants is another. I am always well prepared in case something goes wrong." Saruya stood and embraced me, gently breathing. "I've kept you long enough, Miss Asasaki. Go, I'm sure you've plenty of things you need to attend to before you head out."

I gave him a reluctant smile, raising a hand as I left. The afternoon sun filtered through the massive trees, their height dwarfing even the gigantic bovine we had come across in the Urbus plains. "I should probably let Klein know I accidentally started a quest line." I continued staring at the hidden sky for several moments, only escaping my thoughts when the sound of boots on dirt passed by. "He is going to completely hate me for this."

I stepped to the side and began composing the message, finally choosing to keeping it short and simple when I got tired of attempting to dress up what had actually occurred. I pursed my lips when I received an error message, choosing to save it for when we next departed the private instance.

In the end there were no other Fallen Elves at the other camps. We recovered as many Memento Tags as we could among other supplies like swords and armor that was never equipped by their previous owners. When they exited the main tent, Hafuyo and Kesano seemed fairly disturbed, stoically assisting us in our search.

"If the Fallen have pulled back all their forces, then we must assume they are preparing for an assault either on our own camp or our base to the north." Sergeant Feylaar steepled his hands, bringing the back of his knuckles to his mouth. "Miss Asasaki. I want your group to take a message to our main base. Iyasue will accompany you. Leave as soon as you are able."

I snapped off a salute and left the tent, internally groaning at yet the fourth mission before nightfall. "I'm starting to get annoyed by all this," I grumbled. By this point the elves had gotten used to our appearance. Though they were no longer giving us outright snarls or glares, they were still fairly testy with us. "On your feet, people. The good Sergeant wants us heading to their proper base to deliver a message."

Hibiki looked up from the hearth, calmly stirring away at a soup of some kind."Perhaps a small meal first? I don't think I've seen you eat even a morsel today, Lady Asasaki." The purple haired Explorer served out a small portion, holding the meat and vegetable soup out for me.

I sat down on the rug I had claimed but never truly used, quietly stirring the meal before digging in. "When did you start making this? This must have taken at least a good hour or two."

"He started when we got back from that first camp. I had some leftover meat and produce from Floor 2, and we figured that we might as well try and get something prepared for when we returned." Haru waved his own wooden spoon, cheerily consuming the dish bit by bit. My gaze fell back down, searching the liquid for answers that it would never provide.

 _I'm not even keep tabs on my men properly. We're supposed to be like family and yet here I am off gallivanting with the people of the region instead of growing closer to them. What's wrong with me?_

I took a slow breath, holding it in for several seconds before letting it out. "Argo's guide suggests that it should be somewhere north along the southern face of the cliffs. We'll have to either cross the river directly or take the long routes around. It all depends on what Iyasue has us do." I guzzled down a good portion of the warm liquid, focusing on the sensations. "I'm not quite sure where we'll be able to meet up but I'd like for Klein and the others to join us, goblins included."

"You think the elves will take kindly to the Ol'dekhaan?" Mitsui looked up from her rapier, a whetstone resting in her right hand. Where she and her companions had taken to maintaining as much of their own equipment as possible, Haru and I had been forced to ask the disgruntled blacksmith at this camp.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But everything that's happened so far is screaming a significant battle to me. I'd rather try and have the-" I blinked and made a quick recount of our number. "15 of us together instead of just us five."

"About that," Mitsui poured a bit of water onto her weapon, continuing to sharpen it. "I can handle myself in a fight, but this is starting to become a bit much for me. If it's alright with you, I'd like to return to Zumfut and sit this out."

"Sergeant Hibiki will be returning with her." Yamaguchi cleared his throat, deliberating on something. "Ordinarily, I would be the one accompanying her, but we decided as a group that it would be best if I went with you instead. I've seen the way you Swordsmen fight, and while you can certainly take down enemies without much hassle, you all lack a certain level of skill that will likely beuseful in the coming encounters." The man looked to the side, giving Hibiki a meaningful look.

"Sounds like a plan then. I'll send a message to Klein once we leave the instance and let him know." Hunger pangs quelled, I dismissed the dishes into my inventory and moved into a series of stretches, intent on doing as much as I could to reduce my Fatigue without actually resting. "Let me know when we're all ready to go."

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"We can't afford to be wasting time."

I quietly tugged on the strings for my vambraces, looking over the murky silver-white metal plate attached to it.

"Every second we spend standing around is another second the Fallen have to prepare themselves."

I looked over at Haru and Yamaguchi, the two engrossed in a conversation regarding the layout of the floor.

"Why aren't they here?!" The elf whirled around, exasperation wrapped around his entire frame.

"In case you forgot, Iyasue, our companions aren't exactly able to to traverse the forest as quickly as us. They might have the map information, but there's still ten of them travelling together." I stood up and stretched, doing my best to ignore the scout's incessant chatter.

 _I wish I had some Rose Tea to offer this guy. He really needs to chill out._

#See you on my map. We met Mitsui and Hibiki on the way over. Asahi should be meeting them at the northern gate.#

I let out a grateful sigh at Klein's message. "They're almost here. Get ready to head out."

Haru dismissed the physical copy of the 3rd Floor map, a hand resting on his newest dagger that seemed more like a short sword than a knife or shank. "Going to be nice seeing everybody again. I know it's only been a day since we set out, but it feels like it's been a week."

"Both from combat and how much travelling we did, time seemed to fly." Yamaguchi hefted his shield, his armor clinking quietly at the motion.

I kept silent on the matter. I missed the others as well but after Haru's confession to follow whatever decision I made my mind seemed adamant in maintaining a belligerent attitude towards them.

"I see them. We've dallied enough. Miss Asasaki, keep an eye on me. I'd hate to have to backtrack because somebody decided to lag behind." The elf set off at a fairly fast pace, one that I'm sure I would have had difficulty in keeping if I had to run beside him. Though compared to the speed that the Fūma nin regularly disappeared with it was rather lackluster.

"Looks like our reunion's put on hold for now. Choryu, I'm relying on you to continue the chain." I gave the man a thumbs up, following after Iyasue when I received one in return. The minutes bled past. Iyasue seemed fully intent on ignoring any monsters he disturbed, leaving them for me to handle lest the others become side tracked by the creatures.

It wasn't until nightfall that we finally stopped, Iyasue keeping us just within sight of the walls while we waited for Klein and the others to show. "If they're going to keep taking so long I'm going to go on ahead. Miss Asasaki, come with me. I'm going to pass off my badge to you for the time being so you can bring the rest of your allies in." I thought it was fairly odd how the scout acted around me. He'd managed to get past his stutter out of the way but still refused to look at me directly.

"You've been a busy little bee today." Klein smiled and ruffled my hair when I returned, receiving an annoyed arm in return.

"I didn't expect to be pulled into what feels like a civil war if that's what you're hinting at." I stared at the Forest Elf pass; a pair of what had to be arrows resting in the crook of a wreath.

"I don't think any of us did." Klein took a took breath and laid a hand on my back, pushing me forward. "Whelp. C'mon, Little Miss. You're the one who has the most experience at the moment. We're counting on you to bring us though."

I whirled around, my complaints dying at the grinning faces of Fūrinkazan. A part of me wilted, shame flourishing when it realized that for the better part of the day I had been harboring nothing but annoyance against my comrades.

 _I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for any of this._

I shook my head and strode forward, presenting Iyasue's borrowed pass with determination.

 _ **Don't mess this up. You've got a lot of lives counting on you.**_

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 _Next chapter should be out November 10th-11th_


	19. Symphony of War

_So I tried doing NaNo. But then IRL decided to slam into me over the weekend and I wasn't able to get work done on both this and the story that I actually wanted to try and write. I'm still going to try and get 50k words for Duality done, but I'd be just fine if I got 40k instead._

 _That being said, this chapter was written up with the goal of reaching NaNo, so apologies for potential drops in quality this month._

* * *

"Miss Asasaki."

I groaned, lazily waving my hand at the offending limb.

"Miss Asasaki!"

"Wha…?" I blearily opened my eyes and rolled over, staring at the vaguely identifiable form of one of the Forest Elves.

"We've received information from one of our butterflies." The elf looked away, his posture reminding me of a bird whose feathers had just been ruffled. "Sergeant Feylaar among other survivors from the last remaining forward camp have been taken by the Fallen."

I shot up, blinking away the drowsiness. "How long until we leave?"

"Thirty minutes. Sergeant Kieyaar is already organizing our forces. Prepare your men; your assistance is required." Message delivered, the elf hurriedly exited the tent, the faint rays of the artificial early morning sun peeking through the tent flap.

I stared at the entrance for several seconds, a persisting drone exiting my mouth. "I thought I was supposed to be relearning how to be a civilian, not embracing my old habits." I pulled my hair into a simple bun, hair pin deftly holding down the irritable bangs. "Hey, Klein, Wake up! Don't make me get physical with you." I pulled open my interface, changing out of my sleep wear and into my normal combat outfit. "Oi, Klein!" I strode over to him, smushing his cheeks together with a hand. "Come on, wake up, lazy. We've got work to do."

"Eurgh, five more minutes…" He rolled over, weakly batting my hand away.

"The commander here wants us ready in thirty. Time sensitive quest. Help me get the others awake."

With a sigh, Klein slowly sat up, scratching his head. "I'll go wake up the Ol'dekhaan," he mumbled. "Where are we supposed to meet?"

"Let's say the main tent. Now come on, Scruffles. It sounds like this will be a big event. I'm going to need your help with this." I helped him up, the man habitually stretching out before moving.

"Man, what I would give to be able to crack my back again." Klein slumped over, his eyes forcing away the drowsiness.

"There might actually be a proper skill for that," I commented. "There was NPC back in the camp we stayed at yesterday that helped me out with that."

"What, seriously? And you didn't think to tell us about it?" Klein cracked a grin, his back turned to the exit.

I shrugged apologetically. "I was going to bring it up when we had a moment. Trust me, I'm not that much of an ass to keep something like that to myself."

"Your words, not mine."

I mimed chucking something at his face, shaking my head at the retreating laughter. "Alright guys, time to wake up." I softened my gaze at the sleeping forms of my companions, abruptly hit by a pang of regret. Even if they had professed their willingness to help me out with this quest line, it still felt wrong in innumerable ways to involve them with a war.

It was at around 5:40 in the morning that twelve males among two races and one human female gathered at the front of the tent at the rear of the camp, a distinguished elf that seemed more like the personal guard of a noble than platoon leader greeting us. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. As I'm sure my messenger told you, barely an hour ago one of our butterflies detected movement from our last remaining forward base. A group of Fallen laid siege to the camp, taking captives with them somewhere to the east of here. We've lost sight of them, but several of our passing scouts were able to tag them with a special chemical that leaves a specific scent in the air. I've already sent out a handful of groups to secure the area, but we're waiting on your group to arrive."

"Is there any particular reason they haven't gone in already?" Klein took a half step forward, his arms unfolding as he spoke.

"A pair of Swordsmen are stopping all who attempt to enter the cave." A group of elven soldiers ran past us, their features schooled. "Ordinarily we would have slipped past them or taken them out, but we felt it best to defer to your decision on the matter. There may be a reason they are guarding it, after all." Kieyaar nodded at yet another group of elves, these ones carrying birds significantly larger than the one Rhaan brought around.

"We'll go straighten this out then." I rolled my eyes and muttered uselessly under my breath. "Hopefully we can do this without any bloodshed."

The elf raised a brow. "I was not aware that your kind would resort to infighting. I was under the impression that you were all united under one cause."

"Eh." I looked over at Klein, the man sharing my resigned expression. "We might have the same goal, but we don't share the same banner. Each group has their own reason for doing things."

Kieyaar gave a short hum of understanding. "I've arranged for one of our falconers to guide you through the forest. While I have no doubt you could arrive there on your own, I'm sure you can understand our desire to expedite the process."

"Of course." I smiled confidently. "We'll come back as soon as we are able."

The elf gave a short bow. "May the Holy Tree of Kales'Oh grant you strength."

With an enthusiastic but sloppy salute, the core six of Fūrinkazan left in a mostly organized but abhorrent about face and march. According to Klein he'd started having them practice marching orders in an attempt to improve their teamwork. It helped some, but it was rapidly becoming yet another thing I'd have to put them through their paces for if I was going to publically be associated with them in any fashion.

"What I wouldn't do for some breakfast though." Issin theatrically stumbled a few steps, clutching his stomach.

"I filled the guild storage with some rations last night," I said off handedly. "Absolutely non-existent in terms of taste, but it's better than nothing."

"Guys, I said it once, and I'll say it again. Cherish this woman. She knows how to treat her men." Issin longingly opened his inventory, manifesting one of the burlap sacks of jerky and hardtack.

"Please stop with the harem jokes," I grumbled. "I've been catching whispers whenever I walk through the towns."

Issin laughed, clapping me on the back with a free hand. "Just call it a compliment! You have seven guys-" Kunimitzz quickly denied his participation in Issin's fallacy, "at your beck and call. All you gotta do is tell us what to do, and we'll do it!"

I grumbled half hearted curses under my breath, trying not to show any amusement from the situation. "Just tone it down a little? I know you like your jokes and all, but some of them are a little much."

"No problem, Little Miss."

My annoyance made itself known in the form of an unrestrained groan. "You are insufferable, you know that?"

Over the course of some twenty or thirty minutes, our elven guide directed us through the forest, purposely keeping us away from the main trail in order to avoid any of the travellers, player or otherwise, that might be passing through to the village in the northwest. When we finally stopped marching, the falconeer motioned towards the two human Swordsmen standing at the entrance of a cave, one Klein swore wasn't there the day before.

"I'll be waiting with the rest of our troops. Wave us over if you need anything." The elf and his bird of war slipped off into the forest, his yellow marker disappearing in the thin veil of mist that continued even here.

"Klein, Harry, Choryu, would you three mind accompanying me? I feel like if the eight of us showed up we'd have a harder time as opposed to just four of us."

"Are you expecting trouble?" Dynamm moved his shield arm around, working out the metal strain from having lugged the piece of metal plated wood around. "They're players, not NPC's."

"It wouldn't hurt to be prepared. I'd rather it not turn to violence, but if we have to." I paused, letting the silence speak up for me. "It's not like any of us couldn't take them down in a fight. Most people don't train themselves up on their basic attacks; it's all sword skills and switching."

"We'll follow your lead then, Asasaki. Try not to cause a scene, eh?" I nodded at Klein, bringing us over to the two heavily armored men at either side of the entrance.

"Halt!" The bigger of the two raised a hand in warning. "This dungeon is currently under use by the Dragon Knight's Brigade! Until we have finished mapping it out, no one is allowed inside for their own safety."

I shifted my weight onto my left leg, sticking my hip out. "That would hold some merit if we weren't on a time sensitive quest." I shook my head in disdain. "Besides, we're not interested in any loot that might be down in there."

"Be that as it may, we are under strict orders not to let anyone through until we finish mapping out the area."

"It's for your own safety," his companion added. "Please don't press the issue."

I looked at my companions, each one giving me a helpless look. "You two must be new," I spoke smoothly. "You know I know Lind. Personally, I mean. The guy actually owes me a favor." I smiled slyly, the lie easily flowing. "I wouldn't want to be the ones that got in the way of one of his associates from completing their work. I know you have orders from your higher ups, but it's really in your best interests if you let me and my companions in. Trust me, I'm saving you two a world of trouble."

The two glanced at each other. "And what did you say your name was?"

"Asasaki. You might know me as the 'Demon Nin'?" I bared my teeth, a predatory gleam infecting my expression.

They flinched back, eyeing me in a new light. "Very well. But don't think we won't inform the commander that you were taking advantage of our hospitality if anything happens."

"I'd do the same in your position. By the way, you might want to stand aside. And hold your weapons." I raised my hand and beckoned twice, a small army of yellow octahedrons slowly advancing towards us.

"Hey, calm down. They're with us. Like she said, you'll be fine if you don't bother them." Both Harry and Klein hurriedly did their best to placate the two stunned guards, exchanging quick nods with the elves as they filed into the entrance.

"Try not to step on their toes too much, alright big guy?" I smiled cheekily at Rhaagaar, his heavy axe resting on his shoulder. "I know their style isn't exactly the same as either of ours but I'd really rather not be the source of an interspecies incident." Rhaagaar growled in acknowledgement, a cacophony of sounds exiting his throat as he led the other three goblins through the entrance.

"Thanks, gentlemen." I turned back to the two members of the DKB. "Keep an eye out, alright? There might be some stuff going on later, from either direction." I waved my hand in farewell, trailing the others into the dungeon.

Several minutes later, our group of some thirty of so people splintered back into groups, each talking amongst themselves. "This place gives me a bad vibe." Dale rubbed his forearms, his sheathed two handed falchion resting against his body.

"What gave it away?" Harry deadpanned. "That droning music that feels like it belongs in the shadow part of a Zelda game or the glowing purple crystals nestled into the walls?" The armored man, looking like somebody applied the term tank to a suit of armor, fidgeted, the heavy shield attached to his arm dragging through the dirt.

"Miss Asasaki." The elf from the morning, one of the few remaining sergeants from what I had been told, stepped up to me and bowed his head respectfully. "The trackers we used are no longer working. With there being an unknown amount of Swordsmen here, we've come to conclusion that we should look to you for guidance."

I glanced over at Klein, internally frowning when he motioned for me to handle it. "What sort of plans have you come up with?" I followed the elf back to a somewhat flat rock the elven leaders had gathered around, simple wooden brooches with glowing blue crystals providing necessary lighting.

"So far we've considered sending a group of four down each path. If something is found, each group will return back here until everyone has returned. The issue lies with the Swordsmen. We saw their reaction to us; it is very likely that if we come across any of your kind they will attack us without a thought."

It didn't need to be spelt out for me to know that it could lead to a bad situation on both sides. "I think we'll have to go with that plan," I admitted. "I'll arrange for some of my group to stay here. If something does go wrong, have your men retreat as quickly as possible and inform mine of the situation. Hopefully they can defuse the situation. Even if something does happen, it's not like we don't have more bodies than them. A show of force should be all that's needed to get them to cease any hostilities."

"And if it's not?" He asked, the gathered elves looking at me in unnerving unison.

I gave a one sided shrug. "Do your best not to kill them. Pin them down, destroy their weapons, but keep them alive. If any of them die odds are they'll just end up infuriated and fight even harder."

"Very well. I'll begin organising my troops. Let us know when you're ready to proceed." I snapped off a quick salute, the elf doing the same after a moment of surprise.

"So what's the plan, Little Miss?" Issin asked when I got back, popping a strip of jerky in his mouth..

"First off," I slammed my elbows down onto Issin's collarbones, resting my chin on my hands, "I'll need a group of volunteers to stay here while the others head down into the deep, dark, mysterious shadowy lands to find something interesting. Those that are staying up here will be hanging around, waiting for either all the groups to return or one of the elven groups to come with the hounds of hell on their tails." I quickly explained the phrase for Yamaguchi. "Lind's group is running around here somewhere. Odds are we'll come across them, but I'd really rather it be a peaceful thing and not evolve into conflict, hence why I want some people to stay behind and intervene on the elves' behalf."

"As leader of the guild and having actually talked to the guy, unlike a certain ninja of ours," Klein gave me a pointed look, "I should stay here. I'm sure I could throw my weight around a little."

"I'll join you, Asasaki." Haru rose and dusted off his pants. "I might not be able to do much, but at the very least I can get some information for my Bestiary to help out the others."

"That's two of us." I looked around at the group, goblins included.

"Might I suggest Kunimitzz or Issin alongside either myself or Dynamm?" Harry put on his helmet, the face guard falling over his face. "It's rare that bringing a proper tank and somebody with range goes poorly."

I nodded, grateful for the suggestion. "Dynamm, Kuni, you guys good with coming along with us?" The two expressed their ambivalence, bearing their weapons and trudging over. "I'll leave the forward to you two. If you need help, don't be afraid to let me or Choryu know, alright? I know we're squishies, but we can at least buy you some time. All that time out in the forest yesterday wasn't spent just prancing around."

"I know. You're a higher level than last time." Kunimitzz reached out and flicked my forehead, an amused glint in his eyes.

I blinked at the unexpected action. "Alright then. I'll let the sergeant know we're good to go. Klein, take care of Yamaguchi and the goblins, alright?"

"I appreciate the concern, but I believe you should reorder that." Yamaguchi's helmeted frame stared me down, his greatsword having been exchanged from Dale to his more maneuverable longsword.

"Hey, some days we take care of the Little Miss, other days she takes care of us." Issin grinned. "Whichever happens more often, so long as we all end up alive at the end of the day."

Yamaguchi nodded, his eyes scanning the cavern once more. "Best of luck to you, Lady Asasaki."

"You guys as well," I returned. "And have some fun, alright? We're the ones stuck with the boring job of exploration. You guys get to have all the fun and relax." I cackled, running off to catch up with Haru and the others.

The hall we had chosen was quite frankly the most monotonous things in the world along with guard duty. Once the novelty of the purple luminescent lights had worn off, all the four of us had to entertain each other was stories of what we'd gone through during our day apart. Eventually that too lost its appeal.

"Kind of a shame we can't fast travel this," Dynamm grumbled. "Two hours of walking takes two minutes of real time but two minutes of combat takes two hours of real time, remember that, Kunimitzz?"

"Of course I do," he shot back. "Every single dungeon we've been in ever since this whole Contract skill happened screamed Dungeon Crawl to me."

I had to remind myself that the men of Fūrinkazan had played Dungeons and Dragons from time to time instead of hopping online and playing MMO's. "I'm a little bit envious. All Mitsui's had me do is run around doing run errands for her. Not that I'm really complaining, but I think I'd rather spend my day exploring and fighting as opposed to playing messenger."

I couldn't see it from behind, but on body language alone I felt safe in assuming Kunimitzz had rolled his eyes. "Of course you'd want to do the fighting instead of the errands."

"Hey, Kuni?" I did my best to keep out any annoyance from my voice. "Do you have an actual problem with me or is this just your way of coping with something?"

The blunet tapped Dynamm's shoulder before stopping to face me. "Problem as in will it stop me from working with you? No. But I never could exactly agree with your approach to this." Kunimitzz drove the butt of his spear into the ground, the weapon balanced perfectly. "All of this. The fighting, the people, this world." He pulled open his interface for me to see and aggressively tapped the logout button, dismissing it with a wave when he'd proved his point. "I know you've basically lived, breathed, and bled this whole 'death at every step' thing before but I, We, haven't. Not all of us can just accept throwing our lives away because it's for the group."

The man picked up his weapon with a frown. "I'm grateful for everything you've done for us, Asasaki, and I really hope that we can continue working together. But I just can't accept you like that. You're too different. I'm sorry." Kunimitzz turned around and set off, Dynamm following after once he made sure I was alright.

"You know he didn't mean anything by that, right?" Haru fumbled over his words, attempting to explain himself better. "I mean, he didn't mean to actually offend you." he sighed, slumping over. "Sorry. I think what I'm trying to say is-"

"I know, Haru. I'm just fundamentally different from you guys. It hurts, but I get it. It's nothing personal, it just is what it is." I sniffed, rubbing my thumb over the hilt of my sword. "C'mon. At least he's trying to make sure we can work together, right?" I smiled weakly, slowly heading after them.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I smashed through the top of one of the crates, yanking the boards away until it shattered and revealed its contents. "Nothing but clothes over here." I tussled through the pile, leaning back when nothing of value made itself known.

"You'd think there'd be something of use here." Dynamm placed one of the lids back down and crossed his arms. The moment we entered the hall he'd taken point, directing us to check every nook and cranny. When I had asked about the value of doing such a thing he merely referred to Kunimitzz' line about all their previous dungeons feeling like it belonged in a D&D session.

"Maybe this was just to help us get used to the feel of the dungeon?" Haru motioned around with the «Fae Dagger», the same weapon Daifayel had impaled me with the day before. "I mean if we're being honest here, do you think anybody could just dive right into this and not have trouble getting used to the lighting?"

My eyes were drawn to the length of metal. In normal lighting the weapon would have been a pleasant seafoam green, but in the purple lighting it looked sinister. "Can't say I approve of the decor. Makes me feel like we're one EDM song from having a rave." I grinned wryly, amusement spreading across their faces.

"Regardless of what this room is actually meant for, we need to keep moving. Kuni, how do you feel about going to the right?" Dynamm tapped his quill against the hand drawn map, a necessity when we realized that the usual mapping functions weren't working.

"I feel like heading down the center would be a better option. We don't know how big this place is going to be, and my gut is telling me that going straight would be our best option." The man looked to the side. I suddenly realized that it wasn't irritance that he seemed to live by, but a perpetual resting bitch face. "If we're quick about it, going to the sides might be worthwhile though. Asasaki, Choryu, what are your thoughts?"

"Center sounds like a good idea." I took another look around, trying to keep my mind busy. "Shouldn't we send somebody back to let them know what we found?" I turned back to the three, surprised by their apologetic looks.

"Right, sorry. We're used to working in small groups." Kunimitzz ran a hand through his hair. "I'm pretty sure your Agility is faster than Choryu's, Asasaki. You mind playing messenger again?"

"Fine, fine. Save me some baddies, alright?" I gave a lazy salute and started running, mind spawning countless theories as to what was going on here. The scene that greeted me back in the main hall was one that I had been dreading. From one of the center paths, a large group of players, Dragon Knights based on their blue and brown color scheme, were all in defensive positions. Across from them, the some twenty or thirty members of the elven rescue force stood ready for battle.

"Look guys, this is all just a huge misunderstanding. We're not here to encroach on your grounds, we're just here to complete a quest, alright?" Klein shook his hands peacefully, a pained expression on his face.

"Quiet you. This dungeon is under use by the Dragon Knights. Nobody else was allowed in here until we finish mapping the area, which we still have to do." The lead pseudo knight jerked his head towards the entrance behind me, unaware that I was there.

"Hey, this is time sensitive, alright?" The pain flashed into frustration, part of it leaking into Klein's voice. "We'll happily let you take any of the loot down there, but we need to keep going."

"What is it you're looking for?" The blonde man, teen now that I had a better look at his face, frowned and motioned for his men to stand down.

"We're not really sure." The stress evaporated from my leader's body. "Any sign that there's some Forest Elves as well as a race under the group of 'Fallen Elves'."

I took that moment to step in, tugging on Klein's sleeve. "We found another chamber. The others are waiting down there. It looks like an old underground temple." Motioning towards the purple lights embedded in the walls, "Lots more of these dark crystals placed around."

"A shame then that that's the exact region we have yet to map out." I shot the man a baleful glare, the teen twitching under my gaze. "Just stay here for now while we do our work. It'll make this easier for all of us."

I bit back my retort. "Word of advice, if you come across any Fallen with an actual name and not just a title or description, either run away or group up. Those things aren't like any other NPC's we've come across before."

The man snorted. "They're nothing but monsters. They'll all die in the end." Three bodies dashed out from the corridor in question, each whirling around in a defensive position. "Men, move out!" In the same organized mass that Fūrinkazan showed (though significantly much worse) the Dragon Knights charged towards the path I had just came from, the sounds of battle soon echoing towards us.

"You guys alright?" Klein jogged towards the trio. Around us the elves moved closed to the passageway, preparing themselves for the inevitable conflict.

"We're fine. Some monsters got the jump on us, but we were able to escape before their friends arrived." Kunimitzz frowned, drawing a finger down a piece of his armor that was probably the same region that had reduced the amount of damage he'd taken. "I take it the other groups were unsuccessful?"

"Yup. None of them found anything of note except for one of the lancer-shield groups who ended up running into the Dragon Knights." Klein looked down at me, confusion briefly appearing on his face. "What about you guys?"

"Just a big room that looked like it was a foyer of some kind, lots of crates around. Some of them had clothes, others had materials that never got put together." Haru opened up his inventory, showing it to Klein. "We took some of what we could, but there was just too much. It's not like we can access the guild storage from here." Haru flagged over the rest of our guild. "Do you guys mind taking some of this stuff off me? I'm basically at my weight limit." The three other members of my party began trading around their loot, nodding in appreciation.

"Miss Asasaki, what would you have us do? All our men are ready to go." Sergeant Iseyer brought his shield arm to his side, the small round shield matching his forest themed outfit excellently.

I glanced towards the hall. "I think they've had enough of a head start. We should be good to go after at this point. They'll clear out the worst of our problems so the most we'll have to deal with is just the leftovers. Certainly makes our job easier."

The elf nodded. "Men, head out! Shields in front, lancers behind them. All others, stay in your squads and use our normal securing tactics!" The elves moved off silently, fully aware of what was at stake.

"They almost seem real, don't they?" Klein whispered to himself.

"I know it is a hard concept for your kind to grasp, but we still live, breathe, and die just the same as you. For us, it is you Swordsmen that are the oddity."

Klein flinched at Yamaguchi's voice. "Sorry, Yamaguchi. I know you guys are alive to yourselves, but it's still strange trying to realize it."

The walking fortress smiled somberly. "I suppose coming from your world, it would be hard." In an instant the emotions faded, replaced by a hardness I found myself appreciating. "We should get moving. As representatives of humankind I'm sure the elves would appreciate it if we were alongsidethem and not behind."

The foyer that I had just left was an utter mess. The Dragon Knights gave no quarter in their against the Fallen that must have been attacked to their careless clanking. Bodies lay strewn about, purple mist rising from their fading corpses like bubbles from a thermal vent. At the entrance to each of the three paths a forest elf quietly sat, a faint glow surrounding their head.

Iseyer waved me over, Klein following behind. "The Swordsmen from before went north. To the south is only a single room that goes nowhere. To the wast lies a larger section."

"We'll take point," Klein volunteered. "Between the thirteen of us we should be more than fine against anything we find." Behind us the rest of Fūrinkazan plus five began gathering, realizing we were about to head out.

"Good luck, swordsmen."

The near red-head began reorganizing our setup. To our Player shield users and two handers, "You guys will be our true Forward. Between your shields and range, you should be able to handle most groups. Split up as needed in case we run into something bigger."

"Yamaguchi, I want you with me, Rhaagaar, and Rhaan." The two goblins, axe user and beast tamer respectively, perked up and hobbled over. "We'll be acting as DPS and extra Forward in a pinch." The stubbled curved blade user turned his gaze towards me and Haru. "I want you two to work with Tarthuul and Tuukaan." The goblin assassin and sling slash dagger user stepped over towards us, Tuukaan giving me a nod of acknowledgement. "You four will be our Rapid Response team. If there are mobs that suddenly appear, a group needs help, or anything else that comes up, you guys will take care of it."

I grunted, eyes flickering to the two status bars that appeared underneath Haru's.

"Remember guys. We're not here to be heros. We're here to complete a quest and find the missing Forest Elves. Don't go beyond your limits and always keep a potion on hand. Let's make it out of here alive, got it?" For a moment Klein's eyes met mine, a dour look superimposing over his cheerful grin. At his signal Issin took over and led us in a quick cheer, even the goblins joined in on the ceremony.

As we travelled down the eastern tunnel, it was hard to tell exactly what was going on up front. Voices would suddenly rise, weapons accompanied by the hums and shimmers of the system crashing against metal and flesh. From time to time Klein's group would move forward, Harry's parting smoothly to the side before collapsing back together in a messy but clearly practiced motion.

"Makes you a little proud to be apart of them, doesn't it?" Haru nudged me with an elbow. "I know we're still not at your level, but the way we can form up, break off into our own individual groups and still be able to maintain a level of cohesion? Back during that fourth floor raid I'm pretty sure we left a lot of impressions."

I tilted my sword forward a little, the bindings that kept it attached to my belt preventing it from moving forward too much. "I don't know if I could exactly call myself apart of them though."

"Why not? You have the guild symbol, don't you?" Haru motioned towards the bar above my head, singling out the red diamond with four smaller white pips spaced evenly into the corners that all of Fūrinkazan had.

"I mean that despite everything we've been through, the lessons, the quests, the meals, I don't exactly feel like I fit in." I shook my head. "Hell, even when we're fighting as a group odds are I'll be assigned to do my own thing as opposed to fighting alongside somebody."

"But that's kind of your job though." Haru frowned. "And thanks to your teachings, we can do the same. One moment I might be fighting alongside Dale against a single enemy, the next I'm off intercepting an extra mob before I either kill it on my own or somebody else takes over for me." The brunet laid a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Don't think that just because you're not doing the same thing as us we don't appreciate you. You know what they mean when they call you Little Miss Ninja, right?"

"That I'm an annoying little insect that seems to flutter around everywhere, causing all sorts of annoyances without actually being able to be dissuaded despite all your attempts?" I answered dryly.

"Exactly! Minus the whole self degrading thing." We both looked away, several rays of blue light visible up ahead. "The way you play? Klein and Harry call it Evasion Tanking. Whenever things go wrong or we need a breather, all somebody has to do is call out your name and suddenly you're there leaving us with only one or two monsters out of however many we were dealing with. Even if you don't really do any damage to them, the fact that you can give us that big of a break is a godsend. So don't beat yourself up about this whole 'not fighting alongside us' thing, alright? And if it really does bother you, you can just practice this whole thing with me. I told you, I'm staying by your side."

I closed my eyes. I couldn't tell if it was a genuine altruistic attempt or if he had ulterior motives. Either way, there was nothing I could do but accept his assistance. "Thank you, Haru."

"Now come on. I'm sure our wonderful strategists have some words for us." He motioned towards the still forms of our allies, each of them staring at the source of the blue lights.

I turned to look back at the two goblins, their faces filled with curiosity. "Sorry about all the melodrama. I've been going through some difficult stuff the past few days."

"Swordsman Asasaki strong. But all have weakness. Strength is growing past them." Tuukaan's insight startled me. It was wrong of me to expect him to be unable to follow along, but I supposed there was a reason they were part of the Shukechuun's 'Elite'.

"Harry, all I need to know is, did we lose them?"

The teen in question shook his head. "That's the completely wrong situation, Issin. And no, I don't know what it is we're looking at." At the rear of the room, a wooden platform raised around it, an odd, leafless, white tree bearing strange crystal growths stood valiantly in the darkness, the soft blue light emanating from the fruits fighting back the muted purple of the standard stones we had seen throughout the entire dungeon.

"I might be wrong, but I believe I know what this is." Yamaguchi pulled something out from one of his pouches. It was a palm sized rectangular stone, clad in ornate gold decor. "I can't quite tell without being able to look at them, but they appear to be unrefined versions of this." He held the item out for all of us to see. "It's a relic from long before the Separation. It's supposed to be able to cure most wounds within a certain range."

Klein gave Harry a look, one the teen reciprocated. "Asasaki, do you mind trying to pick a few of those for us? I don't think hitting the tree will help us out like it's supposed to for those inner tubes up on the fourth floor."

"How many should I grab?"

"Only one or two," Harry said. "I'm pretty sure what we're looking at is a base material and not the finished product like Yamaguchi has."

I broke into a run, legs tingling as I charged up the small stairs and leapt onto the tree. Had I done this in the real world, I would likely have only been able to get three or four steps at most before I needed to kick up and try and grab onto something. This being a virtual world however, so long as I kept within the bounds of the «Acrobatics» skill it didn't matter how my feet fell against the surface; I'd be carried forward regardless.

"These things can't be put into my inventory!" I called out, straddling one of the thicker branches. I waved the misshapen crystal, its surface a perplexing mixture of biting cold and comforting warmth. When Klein extended his hands out towards me, I dropped it down without complaint, crawling my way forward to another of the protrusions.

"You did that with way too much experience," Harry turned away from his conversation with Klein and Yamaaguchi, watching critically as I rose from my tuck and roll.

"You take no damage in a Safe Zone," I responded. "I did it all the time whenever I was leaving Mitsui's place."

"Ah yes. I distinctly recall a report stating of the numerous times someone we later identified as a Swordsmen throwing themself off the railing and plummeting down the cliffside." Yamaguchi stared at me disapprovingly, his posture reminiscent of my uncle whenever he caught me doing something wrong as a child.

"It's not like I did anything wrong," I groused.

"No, but you did scare everyone who saw you for the first time." Yamaguchi shook his head. "Apologies, Sir Klein. But I'd rather not let go of this. The activation method can be rather fickle, and as one of the last we have I'd feel safer if it was in my possession."

My fellow curved blade user nodded understandingly. "Well, these things seem to be doing absolutely nothing. Not even a quest pop up and we've tried everything we could to try and interact with it." Klein tossed the two crystals onto the wooden platform, the objects thudding uselessly across.

"We've got enemies!" I swirled around at the cry. At the northern entrance Dynamm, Kunimitzz, and Rhaagaar were squaring up, Rhaan and Dale running from the southern side to assist them. Between their bodies, the glowing eyes of Fallen Elves stared at us, their shifting bodies obscuring how many there were.

"Form up! Harry, Dynamm, two teams! Asasaki, have yours handle the right!" Klein drew his sword, quickly rallying his group.

"Squad C, to me!" I pulled out «Tormenting Reaver», the copper colored weapon shining dully in the purple lighting. Beside me Haru began doing his best to record information to his bestiary, dagger tucked away in its sheath.

"Level 15, Fallen Elf Milites. 800 hit points each!" As the corrupted elves neared, I crouched over, taking a breath to remind myself I was working in a group and not alone. "Tuukaan, stay back and take any openings you can see. Tarthuul, stick with Choryu and me." I fought a swallow. "Take any openings I provide. Show no mercy." The dagger using goblin growled menacingly, the few few times I had spent alongside them allowing me the knowledge it was in expectant glee instead of anger.

Wordlessly I shot off, curving around the hall to flank them. In the corner of my vision yellow light burst out from Kunimitzz, three Elves immediately drawn towards the use of his «Howl» skill. On the other side of the room the grey and black trimmed form of Yamaguchi barreled through the elves, bodies sent flying with every swing of his massive kite shield.

I ducked underneath a swing, punching the elbow of the elf in a way it should never be bent. Before I could follow through Tarthuul slammed into the elf, his dagger blurring into anywhere that was unprotected.

"Hey, eyes forward!"

I slipped around Haru, following up on his sword skill with a quick series of slashes that ended with my sword buried in the elf's torso. "Work with Tarthuul-" An orange coated hand smacked away a slash, the elf received an elbow to the gut and pommel to the face for his troubles. "Get these guys down while I keep them busy." Behind me a flare of shattering data sounded, the dagger using goblin screeching out a challenge.

"You sure," Haru leapt over me, his dagger glowing a fiery orange, "you can handle it?!"

I curbstomped elf that had crumbled to the ground, adding more to the stun debuff before spinning around and covering my companion while his post motion wore off. "Hey, I'm me! Worst case scenario I get hit a couple times and have to pot up." A stone flew between us, nailing a helmetless Fallen Elf in the head. "Plus, I have Tuukaan watching out for me." I grinned, dropping my left shoulder into a system assisted shoulder charge.

I threw myself into the skirmish, dancing around every attempted strike both fist and sword. With every finite stab and kick I made sure to double check the situation, anchoring myself to my partied dagger users.

 _This fight feels so much different._

Thrusting my sword through an elf's body, I held him in place while Haru unleashed the tri-striking «Feeding Frenzy» into his chest. When the skill ended and the man's form began flickering out of sight I tore my weapon out, reverting back into a saber grip and scoring an angry red line across the elf's neck.

The moment I stepped back a glowing spear, seeming more like the wide end of a greatsword than the expected point of a polearm, skewered the elf. In a mechanical but nonetheless elegant motion the metal was withdrawn and curved back through the air, data exploding out of the fallen elf's body when it shnk'd through his right clavicle. "And that makes four!" Issin pulled his weapon back, resting it on his shoulder.

 _Is it really because I actually worked together and not just did my own thing?_

"Do assists count?" I questioned slyly.

"Nope! Only kills you did yourself."

"Che." I looked to the side, my eyes filled with annoyance. "One."

The brown haired spear user suddenly began coughing. Slowly, "Choryu, how many assists did she get?"

"There was the four we dealt with," in my peripheral Tarthuul and Tuukaan began rifling through the smouldering corpses, "and then I think we pulled two more from that extra group that came in."

Issin stared at me, pained contemplation transforming his features. "I just can't win with you."

"If it makes you feel better," Haru interjected, "Tarthuul claimed three of those."

Issin blanched. "Please stop. I was feeling good about myself but now I'm just questioning my masculinity. Again." The man met my gaze, a pleading look in his eyes. "Little Miss, I hate you so much sometimes, you know that?"

I chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. One day you'll be as amazing as me. I saw that last strike. If you learn how to move with the motion and replicate that without the system helping you, you'll be taking a huge step towards my glory." I stepped over towards Yamaguchi, the man eyeing the battle field with distaste.

"And you say this is how it normally is in your world?"

"Yup." I poked at one of the small dents in his armor, the impact looking like one of the elves had tried to run him through. "Bodies take weeks, if not months to disappear if they aren't aren't properly buried in the ground, cremated, or whatever other process their living relatives decide to take."

"How can you stand it?" He muttered. "It's unnatural."

"We don't." I forced a smile, well aware that death in this world normally meant the full dissapearance of the body and not a slow decomposition. "We do our best to ignore unnatural deaths. Or we become so inured to it the cold, lifeless bodies of people that not too long ago were laughing and breathing just the same as us no longer holds any meaning. Just like a dandelion seed in the wind. It happens, and you're momentarily intrigued by it, but it doesn't hold your attention."

Yamaguchi stared at me, his true feelings hidden away by his sedate appearance. "And what of you, Lady Asasaki? You fight so violently and uncaring of the trauma you inflict. What do these bodies mean to you?"

I looked away, clenching my teeth. "If I stopped and let myself actually think about it, a corpse in the battlefield means a lost life. A story that was never able to reach its true ending. A family who will never see their loved one again." I turned towards the entrance the elves had taken, drawing upon the familiar sensations of my Other. "But if I don't? They're nothing more than the remnants of the enemy. Inanimate husks of something that tried to kill me and mine. Given the choice, I would always take them over me." The Tolbanian said nothing as I strode off, his powerful gaze tracking me with every step.

 _Uncaring my ass. I damn well know what I'm doing isn't right. Every single blow is meant to kill, and yet these bastard won't stay down until their life bar hits zero._

I pushed a rock around, rolling it underneath my foot. "God, I'm going to have such a hard time rehabilitating."

"You okay?" Klein trotted over to me, sheathing his weapon.

"Just thought I'd scout out ahead a little." I sniffed and stared back down the hall, the purple lighting doing me no favors.

"It's pretty weird, isn't it?" Smiling at my confused look, he continued. "I'm pretty sure you can see a good ways down. Even if you aren't able to tell details through the darkness, you can at least see shapes." He adjusted his stance, grinning. "But if narrow my eyes a little, just the startings of a squint, the world turns green. Sort of like night vision. Regular colors give way to shades of tinted black and white. And if I think about tracking down monsters, I get bright white footprints of where anything living went." He clapped a hand down on my shoulder, his face relaxing. "It's pretty weird how so much of this world is the same, and yet how so much of it is entirely a game." We stood there in silence for several seconds, our reverie interrupted by the rest of our group moving behind us.

"This the path we're taking?" Harry questioned.

"Looks like it." Klein turned away from me, giving the others a once over. "It's where all those Fallen came from, so maybe we'll find their leader."

"That or the rest of their forces," Issin griped.

"We should let the elves know where we're going. This close behind, they can check the other path and whichever side finds a dead end can go assist the other." Yamaguchi's right hand fell to his sheathed blade, a habit I was glad to see somebody else exhibiting.

"Fine, fine." I shook my head, knowing where the conversation was going. "But save me some elves, alright? My skills are behind enough. I'd hate having to go out during my free time just to keep up."

"We'll make no promises. Hurry back, alright?" Klein joked good naturedly.

I jogged off, doing my best to keep the smouldering husks out of my focus. The trip back was a stark contrast to our trip down. Where before there was a cacaphony of white noise, now I only had my echoing footfalls and the hints of far off combat. When I guided the elves towards the hall, I was grateful for the focus their marching steps allowed me.

Sergeant Iseyer stopped suddenly, the rest of his troops doing the same. A few stunned soldiers dropped their weapons, scrambling to pick them up. "This is…" He whirled towards me, panic settling into his face. "Which way did your companions go?" I pointed to the hall to the right of the room, situated in the corner diagonally from the tree. "We shall take the other. Now hurry to your group, we have no time to waste."

I stood there, blinking rapidly. As the elven forces began jogging towards the southern passage I shook my head and turned around, doing my best to catch up with my companions. For the second time in less than as many hours, my heart sank.

In the center of the cavern, Klein himself faced off against a foreboding Fallen Elf, their weapons clashing repeatedly to minimal avail. On either side of the stone dais of which the two fought around, Dale and Kunimitzz did their best to fight off elves of their own, the axe wielding Rhaagaar and claw using Rhaan aiding the two respectively.

"Asasaki!" Klein swung out haphazardly, the falcon I recognized as Rhaan's war bird swooping down and shooting past the elf's head. "Destroy the crystals! We have this covered!"

 _No you don't._

I tore my sight away from his green turning into yellow health bar, suddenly realizing that that the other seven members of our group were _stabbingbleedingcryingmakeitstopmakeitstopMAKEITSTOP!_

I began throwing sword skill after sword skill at the dark purple octahedron, waging war against my rapid breathing. Behind me _Alexdon'tyoudaredieonme_ screamed, a spastic arc of what seemed to be electricity shooting out from the _I'mtheonethatorderedhimtogo_ and turning the floating construct a darker purple.

"Just hang on!" I cried. The edges of my vision darkened. Nothing but my breathing mattered. My body could handle the rest, what mattered was staying conscious and in control so that _pleasedon'tdothistome!_

My weapon shattered the _IED_ , the stolen life essence from Haru disappearing into nothingness. Behind me his _lifeless_ form slumped to the ground, the length of metal penetrating through his torso sliding out _withabloodiedskwelch_.

"Go help out the others," Haru's face contorted in imagined pain, the OFFICE WORKER pushing himself to his feet. "I just need a potion or two and then I can help out." Nodding at the _fabrication of my past_ , I sprinted across the hall, a glowing strike and shout from Klein dragging the attention of «Harak'thaar, Fallen Elf Legatus» back onto him.

Harry's face grimaced, my world turning white for a brief moment before submerging back into sickly purple. "Harak'thaar can heal himself," he managed. "Every time he loses a fourth of his health he fires an AoE knockback and uses the energy in the crystals to restore damage." The words barely reached my mind, my entire being far too focused on _havetostaystrong_ to pay attention.

"Persistent little worm!" A wall of pressure slammed into me, forcing me to flinch. True to Harry's words, the six remaining siphons around the room lit up, travelling along the ceiling and gracefully curving into the same _bloodbloodSOMUCHBLOOD._

"Hey, Keep hacking at it! We can't do anything while we're stuck here!"

I spun around, forcing myself to realize where I actually was. Pinned against the wall, Harry was spread eagle by crackling orbs of energy at his hands and feet. Around him a strange circle was drawn, the paint looking like dried purple blood. _PleasestaywithmeIcan'thaveyoudieing_ \- From his chest, seemingly as if it had come from the _rubbleanddust_ \- wall he was laid flush against, a _errantpipe_ \- doubled edge sword stuck out several inches, odd characters that seemed ancient in origin tapped into its metal.

"Argh!" Harry's scream snapped me out of my _I'mnotcrazy._ With renewed fervor, I tore into the crystal, not relenting until my post motion stacked into somewhere between one and two seconds. "Hurry up and get the others, I'm going to help out Klein!" Quickly downing a potion, the shield user charged off, blocking a two handed blow that would have slashed across our leader's back.

Tuukaan's release went by quickly, the sling user thankfully far too inhuman to pull forth any dredges of my memory. When the bonds keyed to his crystal were shattered, the elf zealously ran off to assist his brethren. Once more the wave of pressure slammed into me. In the corner of my vision Klein and Haru sprinted off to start working on the crystals of Tarthuul and Issin, leaving Harry to handle Harak'thaar on his own.

"Lady Asasaki, I doubt I can be of much help in this battle."

I spared Yamaguchi a single look, his pained and weary face searing itself into my mind. "Stop talking and save your strength." I began cutting into the crystal, each of my strikes carving away pieces of its health bar.

"For all my talk and experience of leading the Explorers, pain is something I am not accustomed to."

"We have potions, don't we?" I snapped, destroying the crystal. I whirled around thrusting one of the bottles from my pouch towards him. "Whether you fight or not, I won't fault you. But either make yourself useful or get back to where it's safe." I tried to give him a sorrowful look, but all that appeared was a trembling sneer. The man accepted my offering without any further protest, a peculiar gleam in his eyes.

When I turned back around, it was to see the entirety of our group back up and fighting. I would have loved to have said that with the three sometimes four on one odds we had meant the fights were going by without a hitch, but the Fallen Praetors and Legatus were seamlessly able to switch between furious normal strikes and empowered abilities depending on how many people were attacking. "Cut the head off the snake," I murmured, watching Klein split off from Dynamm to deal with the true leader.

"Lady Asasaki!" A loud clang immediately followed Yamaguchi's shout, the blade of a Fallen Elf Milites repelled by his shield. "Enemy reinforcements have arrived once again. Guide my blade." The Tolbanian's health bar suddenly appeared underneath the three others in my party, a stark green compared to the sliding yellows and reds.

I slipped around the walking fortress, easily setting up the meaningless NPC for him to destroy. "We clear the adds first. After that," ducking underneath a glowing Horizontal, I stabbed my blade through the unprotected pit of the elf, quickly pulling his head back and drawing my weapon across his throat. "After that we see what needs to be done."

Yamaguchi stabbed his longsword through the elf's torso and twisted, a burst of crystallized binary briefly lighting his features. "As sound a plan as any. I shall take the lead." Together we made our way around the room, wordlessly taking control of the lesser Fallen that had appeared through the two corridors in the back of the room and allowing our companions time to safely pot back up and continue their assault against their chosen enemy.

"Lady Asasaki, behind me!" Yamaguchi stabbed his shield into the ground, the tapered tip digging in. Were he capable of using sword skills, his shield would have undoubtedly been glowing fiercely with a damage reduction ability.

"You shall pay for your insolence!" The room became aglow in a perverse white light. With Yamaguchi acting as a literal wind shield, I was protected from the wave after wave of pressure, the pulses of air whipping my hair and clothes towards the wall. Without his protection, I would have likely suffered the same fate as the others and been slammed against the walls. The white light faded, a handful of crackling noises deafening after the silence.

"Move!" Yamaguchi tackled me, the two of us falling to the ground in an undignified heap. Where we once stood a large circle about eight feet in diameter began radiating a sickening ethereal haze. Two more fields were situated around the room, a few of my companions leaping out of it.

In the interim when we had all been occupied with with the crushing pulses Harak'thaar had procured a sibling blade from somewhere, both of them now crackling with the same white arc that had been siphoning health into the crystals.

"Team 1, on him! Team 2, to me! Team 3, rotate fighters for DPS!" Klein raised his sword into the air, drawing hate onto him were it not for Kunimitzz' timely usage of a single target Howl ability.

"You heard the man," I shared a nod with Yamaguchi, running off to rally my own team. Immediately upon gathering I handed each of them a potion, moving the ones from my inventory into my pouch. "Choryu, gather as much info as you can. Tuukaan, stick near Choryu and fire off whenever you get an opening. Tarthuul, rotate with me and get hits in where you can. Absolutely no more than three. We need to let our Tanks maintain aggression." I flinched at the scream that sounded distinctly like Dale, forcing _returnfire!_ and focusing on the now.

Like clockwork we rotated through our fighters. Aged and rusted clockwork, but clockwork nonetheless. With every crushed bottle our hopes continually plummeted, kept only in check by the yellow bar of the Legatus that slowly crept towards red.

"Team three, Adds from 6 o'clock!"

I cursed, hastily pushing my sword out of the preparatory motion for «Comet Cannon» and retreated. "Team three, on me!" I flicked my sword to the side, left hand gripping my sheath tightly. From the lone entrance we had all taken, a small group of Fallen Milites was charging through. "Klein, I need back up!" To my group, "engage at will. Try not to let any of them pass but _be safe_."

I charged forward, singling out a group of three in the center. It would be a bit more than I was sure I could handle, but as simple Milites NPC's their skills were much the same as the kobolds and tauruses from the lower floors; the only difference was the amount of damage they could dish out as a result of their stats.

The familiar form of Yamaguchi moved beside me, his sword and shield shooting out in a rhythmic motion that quickly took down any he turned his focus upon. To my left, Tarthuul and Haru effortlessly joined forces, dismantling targets one at a time while Tuukaan's precise stones felled any that dared approach them.

 _This world is so different than the one we came from._

I leapt backwards into a handspring, inverting my momentum and launching myself at the offending elf, my metal reinforced boot slamming into his head. With a quick roll I regained my bearings, Yamaguchi's shield and sword shattering the remnants of the elf's life force.

"Incoming!" I ran and slammed into an elf's upper chest, bringing him down to the ground. Several unaided punches and pommel strikes slammed into his skull, another zone of residual damage appearing where I once was.

"Dawn, we have this covered! Go help them out!" Dagger ablaze, Haru stabbed through the leather chestpiece of his assailant, Tarthuul rapidly descending upon the skewered soldier and tearing into his throat.

Trusting in my companions _it'salwaysmyfault-_ I turned around and returned to the yet ongoing fight between the core six of Fūrinkazan and Harak'thaar, his health bar still hovering between 20 and 30%. "What's taking so long?!"

"His swords have vampiric abilities," Klein muttered, downing a potion with forced calmness. "How many more you have?" He asked, dropping the now empty bottle.

"About five or six," I stated, trading over two.

"It's your show, girl. Show him what for. We need some time to recover." Klein called back his group, Harry staying behind and blocking as many strikes as possible.

 _Hasn't he been there since the beginning?_

I ran past Harry and the leader of the Fallen Elves, falling down into a crouch the instant I took a step past the two. The pommel of my blade slammed into the underside of his thigh, my fist reaming out and impacting squarely against his armored shoulder blade. Having been moved into position, my right arm tingled with the familiar touch of the system, slashing out from right to left in a right angle centered on his navel. Harry took over, his shield glowing white as it smacked into the elf.

"I've got this covered!" I shouted, ducking underneath a chop and skirting into his reach. It was true that my up close and personal fighting style would have been more suited for a dagger as opposed to curved blades, but the amount of time I currently had invested in it kept me from doing so. It also meant that I could more easily clash or redirect attacks instead of having to fully dodge.

"Don't let him cut you!" With one final sword skill Harry widthdrew, the elf devoting all his attention to me.

"Yet another one of you pesky insects." The elf brought a leg up and knocked me away, his siblings blades crackling ominously.

I moved into a defensive stance, mind calculating his every step. With a warning only noticed because I was looking for it, Harak'thaar bolted forward. His swords clashed against mine one after the other, the strikes shaving away my health and marginally restoring his.

When his leg thrust out once again I slid back and pulled on the offending limb, elbow and pommel driving into his gut with ease. Another pull and «Tormenting Reaver» slashed through his neck, the elf stumbling away. "Is that all you can say? Pesky insects, sniveling cubs?" I smirked, confidence that didn't belong suffusing my being. "What next, insolent little pest?"

With a sneer, the elf approached me at a slow gait, his glowing eyes leaving trails of purple with each swaying step. "You specifically shall support our army." He stopped suddenly, perhaps double his reach away. "Join me, and live." A translucent yellow marker appeared above his head, utterly oblivious to the struggles around it.

"Sorry, can't say I'm interested." I shot forward, side stepping the slice but unable to avoid the pommel strike.

"A shame." The elf surged forward, his blades passing through my frantic dodges. When I attempted to break through, the flat of his right blade smacked across my face, the tip scoring a thin line along my skin.

Before I could recover, his left stabbed through my upper torso, ignoring the metal plated armor as if it was nothing more than tissue paper. "Now die, and know that your companions shall suffer the same fate." His right gored me as well. In my mind I could see the blade forcing its way between the strips of metal, cutting through bones and organs like a knife through butter.

Suddenly that image dissapearing, pure agony of spasming muscles rapidly switching with the numbess of damage. The sensations inched farther along my body with every percent of my health that drained away. Harak'thaar lifted me into the air, my form slowly sliding down his swords despite my twitching attempts to stop it.

 _15%_

Whatever action he took next, I would likely shatter away. Throwing me, letting me rest upon his blades like a perverse reenactment of The Lion King, or tearing his blades out like I had done to so many others before.

 _10%_

My breath stilled. Harak'thaar stared into my eyes, his face showing nothing but contempt. Another 5% passed, and the elf looked away, his eyes widening. Yamaguchi crashed into him shield first, carrying the Fallen Elf leader away. Immediately I pulled a potion out and downed it, careful not to cause any more damage before gingerly pulling the weapons out of my body.

Harry and Issin formed up on me protectively, their weapons at the ready. "You have more potions?" Issin asked, all hints of joviality gone from his voice.

"Two more. I'm going to be on a timer though." I eyed my health bar, the gauge just barely stopping past 15% or so.

"The fight should be over, now that he doesn't have his weapons." Issin rotated around, his back towards Harry. "You're definitely going to have to sit this next one out." He shifted his stance, limbs spreading out for more control. "Another wave of Fallen Milites are making their way towards us."

I watched as Yamaguchi clinically stabbed through Harak'thaar, his sword and shield crashing down at measured intervals. "Has kind of a Dynasty Warriors' feel, doesn't it?" I rolled another bottle around in my hand, eyeing the timer above my bar. Currently, I was the worst of the party. Where Haru and the goblins were hovering around 40 or 60%, I was currently sitting below 20.

"This fight, you mean?" Harry turned his head slightly, his weapons readied in case something happened with Yamaguchi's curb stomping.

"A named leader with a few lackeys," I made a mental note to ask what had happened to the two Praetors, "hordes of faceless mooks that go down in a few hits." I leaned over and collected the two swords into my inventory, watching the icons to make sure they didn't disappear with the Legatus' shattering life force.

"Yeah, definitely has that sort of feel to it." Issin cut off his next words, shifting apprehensively. "How much longer until you can drink another potion?"

"Twenty eight seconds. I'll only be at 30% though." I nodded at Asuka's guard, the man stoically rising from his full body stab.

"We need to get out of here. Most of us are completely out of potions. Asasaki, you're not allowed to engage on your own from this point on. Not until we get back into the city." I bit back my protest, more than fully aware of how close I was to dying. "Captain Yamaguchi! Protect Asasaki, don't let her out of your sight. Same with you, Issin." Bodyguards established, Harry clanked off, readily taking the pressure off the goblins despite his yellow health.

"Hey, Asasaki?"

I grunted questioningly, bringing the bitter drink to my lips.

Issin trembled for several seconds, the shivers stilling with a resolute grip on his spear. "You need to stop abusing your Developer skills. You keep giving us heart attacks."

"I'm sorry, Issin." I picked up my dropped sword, eyeing its durability with irritation before replacing it with the arguably weaker «Armor Splitter». "But I can't." _Nobodydiesagain._ "So long as we keep having to fight, so long as there's work to be done, I can't rest." I smiled mockingly. "But I wouldn't object to some R&R tomorrow."

"I hear ya." Issin called back to Klein, his stance relaxing slightly. "Time for us to head out. You can walk, right?"

I rested a hand on one of my pouches. "I've got a numbness in my torso still, and I'll tell you right now that despite my alluring face and confident voice I'm trembling like a mother fucker right now." My mind flashed back to Harak'thaar's last attack, the distinctily taser sensations his blades had given me setting off a firestorm of rage.

"Can't fault you for that." Issin set off, Yamaguchi resolutely standing behind me.

I kept my eyes on Issin's back, determinedly keeping my gaze off the haphazard rows of dissipating bodies. "It's like somebody decided to have a party in a temple." I forced a sardonic grin. "Purple lights, purple smoke. Just need a couple of lights and it'll be a proper rave."

"The only excitement here though is experience and bloodshed." Issin laughed, a spine chilling laugh that belonged only to those moments away from breaking. "Asasaki, how do you do it?"

"How do I deal with the carnage and bloodshed?" I asked. "I don't." I chuckled coldly, a wave of familiarity washing over me. "The first few nights after I see a corpse it usually haunts me. Worse if I was the one that dealt the killing blow." I stepped over a body, yells and clashes of metal on metal felling the Fallen Milites up ahead like a scythe to grain. "Eventually, after days or weeks or months of sleepless nights, they stop bothering me. Sometimes they come back and watch me as I wander my dreams, but for the most part I just suffer and let it run its course."

I took a few quick steps, laying a hand on Issin's arm. "In the end, it's either us or them. If they refuse to listen, if they refuse to be diplomatic, whatever happens is because they brought it on themselves. All we can do is try to offer the olive branches."

His shaking lessened in intensity, the man giving me a fragile grin. "So just try and get over it, like a bad break up, right?"

"Something to that effect." I downed my last potion, dismissing the empty bottle to my inventory. "What's wrong, guys?" I jogged up to the frozen forms of Klein and the others, peeking my head between the arms of Kunimitzz and Dale.

 _It's nothing but fiction._

I forced the grin once again, biting down the cruel remark that so desperately wished to be voiced. In the hall we had fought in not too long ago, an infinite pasture of lumpy mounds marked by metal of various length unevenly distributed lay before us. At the base of the crystal bearing tree, three Forest Elves were slumped over, their weapons bracing them up.

"Keep everyone together," I whispered to Klein. "You're their leader, but let me take over for now." I weaved through the bodies, the crooked grin slowly morphing into a practiced smile. "You guys good to get out of here?" I questioned, loudly stepping up the platform.

The central elf slowly met my eyes, his empty gaze bringing forth the name 'Iseyer'. "We couldn't ask for more hopeful words." He smiled morosely, rousing his companions to their feet.

"Sorry we can't offer anything better, but our goblin friends should have a camp somewhere north of the settlement known as Zumfut. It's not that far from here, but it's the closest place we have." I stopped in front of each of the elves, keeping a hand on one of their arms until they met my gaze. "It might be an hour's march away, but it's someplace we can relax for a time."

"That would…" An elf I didn't recognize spoke up, his rapier held tightly in his hand. "That would be nice."

I gave a sad smile, guiding them towards my group which had made their to the southern hall. "To the Ol'dekhaan camp?" I asked, wondering where Rhaan's bird was.

"To the Ol'dekhaan camp," Klein answered simply. In cursed silence we travelled through the empty and forgotten temple, only the purple crystals and smoking remnants of Fallen Elves bearing witness to our passage.

When at last we filed out the dungeon pass, the Dragon Knight contingent stood, derisive jeers plastered on their faces. "Hey, it's Fūrinkazan and their NPC's. You guys find what you were looking for?"

I stepped forward, a cordial smile hiding my wretched thoughts. "Yes. Thank you for your assistance. And how did your own scouting go?"

The helmeted teen grinned. "Fairly well. A shame that we had to turn back from all the loot we gathered. You would have loved it, I'm sure."

I let my smile widen a fraction. "I'm sure as well. Good day." I nodded in dismissal and walked away, waving my group over. Part of me wondered if agitating him would have caused a fight to break out. The more apparent and detached part of me could only snort indifferently, solemnly leading my group of fifteen towards Zumfut.

* * *

Next Chapter should be out November 17-18th.


	20. Recompense

_Opening AN 1: You know, while I was writing this I was actually really happy. It felt really nice just having some heart to hearts instead of desperate, steel against steel._

 _Opening AN 2: I started looking over this this pretty late into the day. Then I started freaking out because it felt like I was missing several things. Remember that diatribe I put a chapter or two ago? About how it'll never be good enough until the exact moment before your deadline? Yeah, that feeling happened again._

* * *

I gently drifted to the side, skirting along the edge of the river before returning back to my spot in our wedge formation. Since the rest of our guild and our NPC allies were travelling through foot up the third floor tower, I, Dale, and Issin had been given the luxury of a mostly free morning. With the blessing of Agil's World Market and Orlando's Legend Braves, we were able to use three of the quest made gondolas without any fuss.

The two vessels from World Market were capable of carrying nine people, including the gondolier, while the Legend Braves' could carry only six. When I had questioned Agil why he had two of them, the man stated that after Nezha's stint on the second floor his own group was starting to take interest in directly trading items and services with other players. Offering the usage of their boats to places around the floor was but one of the things they had done while on the fourth.

"Hey, Little Miss!" Issin raised his voice, his grin lacking the strain that had been on everyone's face the previous evening. "I'm pretty sure you've traveled the world. Is this anything like actual boating in the real world?"

"Nope!" I shouted back. The need to raise our voices was the direct result of our speed. I couldn't make a proper guess, but it felt as if we were traveling at around 15 miles per hour or so. "We should actually be rowing and not just treating the oar like a control stick." I grinned and pushed down a bit more, breaking ahead a few feet before pulling back. "But I gotta say, I love how this handles!"

Vector had been the one in charge of commanding the black and brown 'Jackdaw' I was currently piloting, named so by Siegfried for a ship from another game. The axe and shield user had proudly made the controls 'inverted', keeping the usage fairly realistic. Unlike Dale's Pequod or Issin's Hringhorni, if I pushed right on the oar the ship would end up moving to the left and vice versa if I pushed left.

The brunet shook his head, fully aware that I had kept the settings the same. "You're a lunatic, Little Miss!" Issin pulled ahead as well, holding his pace for a few seconds before moving back to the distance we had been keeping.

I cackled, moving dangerously close to the Hringhorni. "So there's got to have been a race at some point, right? Either in the past or in the future?" I widened the gap slightly, a precautionary buffer while I motioned at our three ships with my free hand.

"Probably in the future," Dale called out. "I don't think the people on the front lines care much about slacking off and having fun."

"There's the entrance." I pointed out, navigating behind the two. "Dale, you mind if I head in first?" Permission granted, I led the three of us around the ring of water surrounding the third floor stairwell. "Morning Blossom Boating Services," I joked, pulling up along the shoreline. "Somebody request a ride?"

"That'd be us. Our group is called Fūrinkazan?" Klein grinned and waded into the water, pulling my gondola deeper onto land.

"And where would your destination be, Mr…"

"Tsuboi," My breathing hitched at the admission of his real name. "And a nice vacation spot. Maybe somewhere with water, boats, and lots of places to just relax and unwind."

"Well I have just the location in mind." I beamed, watching the four Tolbanians and three Forest Elves clamber on. "It's a lovely little place called Rovia. The western side is filled with lodgings, with places available for purchase in the north, while the eastern side has a recreational area in the north and markets to the south." Klein patted the side of my boat twice before slowly pushing it off, Yamaguchi holding a hand out to help him aboard.

"The entire place was built to accommodate the rivers in the area," I continued, maneuvering us out of the bay. "According to the locals, every few decades the waters recede and leave the land a barren wasteland. Lucky for you folk, you happened to arrive during the wet season." Asuka quietly shuffled closer to me, her face wide and eager for knowledge. "As such, the easiest ways out of the city is to the north and south, each by gondola. You could travel by foot of course through the western or eastern exits, but the path east has a large forest filled with bears and other animals that don't take kindly to intruders while the west has a long hike up and down a steep mountainside rumored to be plagued by monsters."

"What sort of goods would you say a travelling merchant might be able to find if they were visiting?" Asuka queried, pleased to be part of the bit.

"Hard to say," I admitted. "I imagine if you talked around you could find some blueprints and recipes. I'm just a simple gondolier though. Looking around for that sort of thing isn't something I do for fun." I pulled to the right, avoiding an outcropping in the center of the passage.

"This place is quite beautiful, isn't it, Lady Mitsui?"

The woman looked away and smiled at Asahi. "It is," she agreed. "The closest we have to such clear waters would be the river passing south of Tolbana and the tributaries from the rivers in the east before they turn into swamp land."

"Even then, it's more marshy than the clear waters here." Asahi said. The man quietly wrote down in one of his journals, a bottle of ink with a long neck secured between his legs. "The land is significantly less dense as well."

"What about you three?" I asked the elves. "You ever been in this region before?"

"This region was too far west for me to have ever been here." Iseyer leaned over the edge, letting one of his gloved hands drift along in the waters. "And as far as I know, Private Alduin and Private Heivaar were assigned to our location in the Lostlorn Forest as soon as they finished their training." The elven sergeant looked at me, his eyes carrying the breadth of his next statement. "They've essentially lived half their lives there."

I glanced at his companions. The two had been silent and nearly unresponsive since the massacre at the Fallen dungeon. The only way to get them to respond to anything was to yell at them like a drill instructor, and even then Iseyer was the only one who could consistently get them to do as told. "Rovia will be a nice change of pace. There isn't exactly much to do without a boat or walking, but for the most part it's peaceful."

"Earlier you mentioned monsters. Exactly what sort are there?" Yamaguchi looked away from the handle of his sword, the sheathed tip digging into the deck.

"Standard animals of various sizes in the forest, aquatic crabs and cephalopods in the rivers," Seeing their confused faces, I gave a quick and simplified explanation of the animals. "If you travel on foot you might come across land capable fish soldiers called Sahuagin, but beyond that this region is mostly unexplored."

I glanced over at the Hringhorni. Resting at the stern with a joyful expression sat Haru, the man seeming as if the events from yesterday had never occurred. "Though considering who we are and how much time we're going to end up spending here, that's probably going to change."

"If you find anything tasty, make sure to save me some, okay?" Asuka giggled, bringing a hand to her mouth. "And on that note, next time you swing by Tolbana can you bring a couple bottles of wine from my study? The drinks they had in Zumfut were okay, but ours are just so much better."

"I'm pretty sure they're only better because that's what you've grown up with, Lady Mitsui." Asahi stoppered the bottle and began stowing his materials away. "I'm sure if you spent some time getting used to the drinks elsewhere they would gain the same appeal."

"You should talk to my guild leader about it. I'm not exactly much for alcoholic drinks, but Klein's made it his goal to try every single drink available from every region." I snickered. "I'm willing to bet he keeps a journal about it the exact same way Choryu tries to keep a record of all the monsters we come across." I took a deep breath, raising my voice. "Isn't that right, Klein?!"

"I deny anything that woman says!" He yelled from the front, shaken from his thoughts.

"Told you." A wave of chuckles spread among my boat. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be arriving at our destination shortly. Please remain seated until we come to a full stop, and to make sure you have all your belongings. From all our staff here at Morning Blossom Boating Services, we express our deepest thanks and hope you choose us again."

As we neared the chalk white city of Rovia, Mitsui and Asahi stood up, making it to the front of the ship before I calmly chided them for their actions. I couldn't fault their reaction though. It wasn't exactly a shining white fortress in the midst of evil and corruption, but the color of the stones was quite the contrast in comparison to the more moderate earthen tones of the surrounding land.

"Klein, think you can make a short jump?" I eased up on the speed and knelt down, picking up a prepared length of rope. "You don't need to worry about tying it. Just loop the noose around the mooring and the system will take care of the rest." I scanned the waterways, careful not to crash into the NPC run gondolas ferrying players and other scripted NPC's around. After a few short minutes, I found one in the northwestern district. It was fairly far from the teleport gate as well as the lodgings on this floor, but as I had no desire to play musical boats it was the best we had.

Klein hopped off the Jackdaw, the boat rocking slightly from the motion. "We're meeting up at the central plaza, right?" The near red head caught the rope, tapping it to the anchor point once and letting the game functions secure it.

"That's the plan," I confirmed, motioning happily for our NPC companions to exit. "It's not as if you can't travel around the entire place on foot," I remarked, having pointed out the tall, arched bridges connecting each section, "but gondola is just so much easier, especially if you don't have a map of the area like we do."

With a single questioning sound from Asuka, I made copies of the fourth floor, handing them out to each of the NPC's. "I feel kind of bad for the Ol'dekhaan though, having to wear those cloaks every time they want to travel through the cities." My head lolled to the side, shame washing over my face when I remembered that Rhaan had ended up losing his bird to Harak'thaar's attacks during the fight.

"It's not entirely the worst," Tsuboi said. "They have to be mindful about not speaking their native language, but they get a kick out of seeing the different lifestyles."

"When did this happen?" I asked, using the role of tour guide to force the images out of my head.

"Back on the second floor when we escorted them through Marome to make our way to the tower. Unlike most of the stuff you're handling, the Ol'dekhaan seem to want nothing more than fight." He nudged me, grinning with mirth. "You sure you don't want to swap out with somebody from our group?"

"No thanks. Besides, I'm Contracted with Mitsui." _And now Iseyer_ , I added mentally. "The only way I can actually raise my Contract skill is by completing what she asks or fighting alongside her." I spun around a took a few steps backwards, just long enough to give an apologetic smile to the lady in question.

"Fair point. But you really should look into working with them. Tuukaan keeps mentioning how he wants to fight by your side." The redheaded male paused, staring at me questioningly. "Speaking of that, didn't you throw him off the top of his post the first time we met him?"

I winced, sensing several gazes focus on my head. "Can we not talk about that anymore?" I pleaded. "And besides, we made amends." I looked to the side, distinctly recalling how awkward (and slow) the conversation with the leader of the ranged squadron was.

"You seem to lead quite the interesting life, Miss Asasaki."

I grumbled at Iseyer's words, slouching for a fraction of a second. "You have no idea." With partially forced cheer, "So what's on the list today, Fearless Leader? I don't know about you, but after yesterday I think a day of relaxation would be _just_ what the doctor prescribed."

"While I think we'd all agree with that statement, Asasaki, I doubt everybody could handle sitting around and doing nothing. I'm sure we're all going to end up doing something, even if it means just walking into that forest east of here and relaxing a little or heading back to the lower floors and helping out some of the newbies."

I twirled around instinctively, explaining the term and emphasizing both its connotations and the difference between the nearly indistinguishable variant of 'noobie'. "I think I might head down to the second floor and hang out with those Fukasawa kids- Ah, I mean," I laughed awkwardly, realizing my faux pas. "Sorry, I don't know if they'll take offense to me sharing that information, but they haven't exactly given me any other way to refer to them."

"It should be fine. I'll just have to keep that in mind." Tsuboi shook his head, taking my act of walking along the handrail of the bridge in stride. "You should probably message them though. They might be farther north than you're expecting. They're kids after all. I doubt they really know how to hold back."

"Like you and your drinking?" I quipped.

"Hey, it's not like it actually gets me drunk," he returned. I took that moment to explain to Iseyer and his two underlings the difference between the alcohol from our realm versus the alcohol from here. "Does it really bother you?" He asked hesitantly.

"Just a little. If only because I worry the habit might easily transfer once we get out of here." Like so many times before, I forcefully crushed the idle question of whether or not beating Aincrad would be the death of Asuka and the others. "But if you're a good boy and keep it to a glass or two during meals like you've been doing, I think you should be fine. You're drinking it for the taste after all, not in the vain hope that it'll actually get you drunk, right?"

"Yeah," he responded after a moment.

Spinning around the last few steps, I collapsed in a heap, my back resting against one of the four obelisks situated around the active gate. "Looks like we're first." I pulled over my interface, composing a message to Keita and Ducker. "If they're too far north, I won't head after them, Mitsui. I know you're probably eager to get started on networking with the people here, so I'll stick close to the teleport gates in case you need me. Just flag me up if you need to, alright? Same for you, Sergeant Iseyer." The two nodded, Asuka's cheer making her seem much more like the young adult she appeared instead of the late twenty year old she actually was.

"I swear you fetishize efficiency or something, Little Miss." Issin plopped down beside me, Harry and Haru slowly following after him. "If you bothered to look around a little more you'd have found a better parking just to the south of here. It's right alongside the main channel too."

Asuka stepped away from her conversation with Tsuboi, cocking her head to the side. "In her defense, we did end up having enough time to talk and look around at the northwestern district."

"Yeah, that's fair, I suppose." Issin leaned back, bracing himself on his hands. "You know Argo's guide book for this floor _did_ make mention of how there's a handful of quests in the regions to the east and west. If we really wanted to take our time and just relax here, we could pack a camping set or two with everybody else bringing along sleeping bags."

"Would that be fair to the the others though?" Harry motioned towards the Tolbanians and elves. "If we start travelling on foot, we wouldn't be able to help them out as easily. And even if we did complete all of their requests, who knows how long it would take for us to complete everything in the area. In case you forgot, we did spend nearly a whole extra month in the Black Iron Kingdom just taking care of everything."

"It was a lot of travelling and back and forth though," I interrupted. "Plus, we did learn a lot about the region and it was great practice for us to actually become a team." I followed Asahi's pointer finger, the scholar excitedly jotting down something regarding the clothing of one of the locals.

"If you guys need some time to recover, I wouldn't mind staying here. Asasaki?" Asuka turned her attention onto me. "Alongside those bottles, could you pick up my chess set? It's located in the bottom-most shelf of my study." The woman undid one of her buttons, searching around the inside of her vest. "Here." she handed over a palm sized piece of metal. It was almost the same as the one Ferghus had given us, though instead of silver lacework it was done with a strikingly gold alloy.

"This should calm down the guards there and let you in without any trouble." She raised an admonishing finger, suddenly reminding me that she was indeed the leader of a merchant guild and not just a bubbly adult who never truly grew up. "I better get that back! That's one of the last remnants of my heritage, so take care of it!"

I raised my hands in surrender. "Don't worry. This'll stay in my inventory the entire time. Nobody but me will be able to touch it."

"Good." She smiled. "Oh, Takeshi!" Beaming, the woman hopped over to the still armored Yamaguchi, patting his arm excitedly as she talked.

Issin suddenly leaned forward, scrutinizing the duo. "Harry, call me crazy, but imagine that scene, only blonde."

"No, I see it too." Harry shook his head. "Though if we're being honest, I think the red hair suits her. It's not quite pink, but it's close enough."

"What does pink have anything to do with it?" I asked.

In unison, "Pink is the color of pain." Issin took over, "In anime and some games, the things that are colored pink are the ones that deliver pain but not enough to be deadly. Often it comes from somebody that you expect to be sweet and charming, and they usually end up as a love interest and so the pain is always fairly unexpected for the protagonists."

I stared at the two, blinking rapidly. "I think the right word here would be 'Otaku', wouldn't it?"

"Oi, oi, oi!" Issin gawked at me, his features changing from utter shock to affrontement. "We totally get out of our house! That's why we find someplace to meet up every few months and play board games instead of just staying online."

I snickered, eyes straying away from our group. "So where's Captain Ahab and his fearless crew?" Realizing that neither of the two companions recognized the reference, "The crew in charge of the whaling ship 'Pequod'?"

"Last I saw of them," Haru spoke up from my left, perched on the last step of the teleport gate, "the goblins were dragging them over to the stalls in the south western district. Tarthuul's a fan of looking at all the clothing and jewelry, though considering how often we have to keep asking him for things that used to be in our inventory, I'm pretty sure he's only looking for a good hit and not just being excited at everything." He glanced to the side, his face falling in dismay.

"Which means they're going to take a good hour or two." Issin jumped up and stretched out his arms. "I suggest we get started on whatever it is we want to do. Asasaki, you mind if I follow you around for the day?"

"Um, sure." I blinked and rose, making my way over to the two redheads. "Klein, I think it'd be for the best if we went our separate ways for now." Seeing his worried face, I frantically waved my hands. "I mean we should start taking care of everything! Apparently the Ol'dekhaan are dragging Dale, Kuni, and Dynamm around the markets. If they're anything like you and Ha- Choryu were saying, that should take a good hour or two before they see everything."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good estimate." Klein clapped his hands loudly, incidentally grabbing the attention of everybody in the plaza. "Okay, guys, it is currently 8:14 in the morning! Dale and his group are probably going to be busy until 10:30 at the latest, so we might as well get started on everything we were planning for the day."

With a gaiety that seemed more real than artificial, the leader of Fūrinkazan began pointing from group to group. Asuka and Asahi, with Yamaguchi and Hibiki acting as their guards, would look for whoever constituted as the leaders in the region, trying to work out any sort of plans or recipes in exchange for whatever they could provide. Sergeant Iseyer and his still insensate men would join the Ol'dekhaan in the uncreatively named «Bear Forest» when they finally came back, while Klein and Haru would end up exploring the fifth floor and gathering some information for when we finally got up there. Meanwhile Issin would be shadowing me for the day, for reasons I figured would make themselves known eventually.

"Right then. Guess we're off." I leaned forward as I started walking backwards, waving with both hands. It was an odd habit that I ended up picking up after hanging around Satoru's younger sister whenever we had to house her while their parents were out and about. At this point I felt obligated to keeping the trait, if at the very least to hold on to the memories as long as possible.

"Take care you two," Klein said, "and try not to cause any problems for the lower levels, alright?"

"I'll make sure to keep her in line, you guys have fun on the fifth!" Haru waved back at Issin, my last sight before I stepped through the portal being the spear user's eager form spinning around and leaping after me.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I instinctively walked towards the veranda, staring out at the clay tiled rooftops of Tolbana spread out before me, vibrantly reflecting a liveliness that could only have been the result of hope and new beginnings. With graceful movements influenced by my emptied mind, I stepped onto the flat topped railing, the wind caressing my body.

 _For being such an egotistical madman, Kayaba sure knew how to make his worlds._

A small part of me quietly brought up the idea that he hadn't made this world all on his own. That it would have been impossible; the world of SAO wasn't an independently developed game after all. It was the creation of the Argus corporation.

"Hey, uh, Asasaki?"

I turned my head slightly, keeping the sight of the first floor Tower looming over the Forsaken Forest centered in my vision. "Mm?"

"Any particular reason you're standing up there?" Issin stared at me, a wary grin on his face.

"Habits, I suppose," I said simply. "Every single time I came up to Mitsui's place, I'd leave by jumping off here." I pointed down, signaling a flat rooftop several stories down.

"But doesn't it hurt?" He asked, peering over the edge.

"Just a little. But I'm used to that pain now. Besides, between my own experience from taking the jump and my Acrobatics skill it's not like I'd die if the safe zone wasn't in place." My lip twitched into a smirk. "My health would probably be under 20%, but I'd be alive. I bet if I took a potion before falling I could even jump right into a fight without any problems."

"Could you uh, could you step down from there though? Preferably on this side?" Issin hesitantly reached towards me, his palm skywards. "You're forcing some bad memories from that first week back up."

With a quick apology, I hopped down, stretching my hands above my head before sitting down on one of the stone benches. "So it turns out those kids I was talking about are still in Marome."

"That's the village to the east of Urbus, right?"

I hummed in confirmation. "I dunno if it'd be worth our time to head over there, especially since Mitsui might end up completing her talks by the time we get over there. Hell, she might even be done by the time we get back to Black Iron City." I laid down on the bench, my right arm folded underneath my head.

Issin sat down by my feet, a leg dangling off the arm rest. "Hey, uh, Asasaki? Can I…" he frowned. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go for it." I dismissed all my idle thoughts, sensing he was going to ask me something important.

"How did it feel?"

"You're going to need to be more specific than that," I responded.

"How did it feel almost dying?" He clarified, staring at me like a lost child.

I took a few deep breaths through my nostrils, cursing my mind for how much time it was taking to respond. "Honestly, it didn't even bother me." I slowly raised a finger in a request for silence. "My health bar is just a number. A gauge for how reckless I can be." I sat up and patted the inside of my right forearm. "Between all the material collection I do on the lower floors for upgrades, the amount of monsters I regularly kite on my own whenever we're pulling mobs or need to buy some time, and the," I did a quick recount on my fingers, "some four or five times I've been stabbed through the stomach, I really don't care all that much anymore about being in the yellow or red."

I whipped a potion out, flipping it over and over through the air. "That being said, yesterday was far too close for comfort. Plus," I snatched the potion with a loud clasp, returning it to its pouch, "I can't exactly say I was fond of those weapons of his. Being turned into a shish kabob was just par for the course in regards to me versus unique monsters that have weapons; it was the sensation of being tased every other half second that really rattled me." I let out a short, helpless laugh, Issin's pained expression not being lost on me. "I'm damn lucky I did all those drills about taking imaginary blows or falls and whipping out a potion. If I didn't have that action ingrained into my mind I'm pretty sure you'd all be mourning me instead of singing praises about the Morning Blossom Boating Service."

"Don't." Issin looked away, his mouth pushed together tightly. "Don't talk about your potential death like it meant nothing. Please."

I sighed and shook my head. "Issin, I know it probably bothers you and everyone else-"

"Nobody else saw it."

My mouth stayed open, an ineloquent sound escaping.

"I was the only one who saw how close you were to dying. Everybody else was too focused on dealing with the Milites that just wouldn't stop showing up, and when I realized how low your health was I moved in front of Harry so he couldn't, couldn't see-" I stared at his arms. They were shaking. Shaking like a tree near the outskirts of a hurricane. Not bad enough that they were threatening to snap in half, but enough that you could tell something was on its way. Instinctively I sat on the back of the bench to reduce the disparity of our elevation, bearing the uncomfortable edge pressing into my posterior while I tried to comfort him within the bounds of a friend.

"I saw you." His hands clenched tightly, hidden behind his arms. I imagined that his knuckles were bone white, straining in place of his voice. "I saw you held in the air, his swords crackling with the same damn energy that kept stealing our life and healing his. I saw you grabbing at his blades like a hostage begging for mercy." He shut his eyes. "I saw your health bar nearly disappear. You must have been at 1% by the time you got that potion down your throat."

He look at me fiercely, eyes brimming with tears. "I thought we were about to lose you, Asasaki." He continued staring, facial muscles twitching back his continuance. "I thought we were about to lose our teacher. Our friend. The reason we don't mind doing all these quests and helping out on the front lines."

I could only stare, stunned by the revelation.

"We're all friends in here, Asasaki. The six of us? Klein, Harry, Dale, Dynamm, Kunimitzz, myself. We've been friends since our high school years. And aside from Harry and Dynamm because of school and his apprenticeship, all of us would have been totally fine just staying here." He turned back towards the city, blinking away the moisture. "They would have been annoyed for who knew how long at the fact that their chances of securing their future were completely destroyed by Kayaba, but since we were all together it would have been fine. We would have stayed together, doing whatever we wanted. Quests, exploring the land, picking up production skills, fighting monsters."

"I bet given enough time, hell, probably even by now, Choryu would've accepted his fate of being stuck in here like us." Issin took a deep breath, holding it in for a few seconds before continuing. "But you weren't like us. You weren't here just for fun. You weren't here with anybody. You're from the States. You have a family. A family that's going to be missing you. A family that might not even know what's going on."

"The six of us? We might call or write our families from time to time, but for the most part? We live by ourselves, only hanging out with co-workers and each other." He raised a hand, cutting me off. "And I know you're older than us. But you still keep in touch with them to a level we could only hope for. That's why we don't mind pushing so hard. Doing your drills, doing your morning exercises, even if it's not to the level you originally asked of us." Issin stood and took a few steps forward before looking at me. "You were our reason for fighting. And you almost disappeared."

He ran a hand through his hair, eyes filled with grief. "What was I supposed to tell them if you died on me? Klein told me and Harry to go back you up, and you were a fraction of a second away from dying." He laughed brokenly. "I want to tell you to stop fighting. To put up your sword and promise me to never go out in the fields ever again. To stop being you and just let us protect you." His body shook in silence, a heart wrenching mixture of laughter and tears. "But that's just not you." He shook his head, smiling despite his internal anguish. "You're not a damsel in distress. You're not a little princess or a simple developer. You're the goddamn Demon Ninja. You get in there where everybody else would think thrice and _still_ need a cash incentive."

He shook his head, wiping away the tears with a thumb. "I want to keep telling myself that my feelings for you are crazy. That it's just because you're the only woman I've actually interacted with since high school. But it's not. I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you, Asasaki. And I don't know if it's just me crushing on everything you seem to stand for or if it's actual love." He laughed neurotically, meeting my gaze. "But when I saw you in the air, and your arms stopped protesting?"

The spear user sagged slightly, a dull look entering his eyes. "Last night I kept cursing myself. I couldn't sleep. The moment I could have done anything to save you, my mind just shut down. When I should have done something, Yamaguchi was the one who ended up rescuing you." He smiled weakly, hands twitching as if trying to grab hold of something. "I didn't do anything," he breathed.

"I wish I could tell you I return your feelings, Issin." I glanced away for naught but a moment, demanding my body to look at him. "But I can't. And odds are, I probably won't. Not until we get out of here. And even then, it'd be something that would have to be worked on." I looked up, shading my eyes from the replica of the sun. "I have mental problems at the moment. My time in the military's left me scarred, and I was in the process of recovering when I got stuck in here." I looked back down. Wordlessly I sat properly in the center of the bench, patting the spot to my left.

"You know I've lost some seven or eight people at this point?" I said suddenly, kneading my unarmored navel. "There was the two people in my first squad. The first one was injured in a building and couldn't get out. The second one took point on my orders and activated a proximity mine on his way in. He died with a length of pipe through his stomach." I continued rubbing, idly wondering exactly what it was about the monsters here that made so many of them choose the same general region to gore me through.

"The third one was my superior sergeant. Lost a limb and a good portion of his legs while we were out on foot patrol. He died in my arms." I snorted. "Bastard even had the decency to talk me into giving him permission to rest, like I was welcoming him home."

I grabbed my hand, forcing it to cease its ministrations by massaging it. "After that, I lost four men under my command while we were out driving. This was when I requested a transfer to military police over in the middle east, by the way. We were making our way to another region when an IED got set off by their Humvee. We ended up in a firefight and it was only because we were part of a caravan that the other half of my squad survived." I closed my eyes, their names and faces flashing through my mind.

"And then in here," I let out a slow breath, methodically pulling open my inventory and manifesting the starter blade tucked away in an carved, ivory sheath. "In here, I lost the person who I was supposed to be taking care of while we were out farming monsters." I held the sword up, a somber smile forming at the replicated carvings he had hand drawn for the NPC to add.

"So I would love to be able to tell you I return your feelings, or that I'm willing to test things out and see where they go. But I can't. Because I'm just not ready." I tapped the interface for my immediate equipment, the weapon flashing out of existence and appearing on my back. "And I probably won't be ready. Not until long after we get out of here. For all intents and purposes, we're at war. It might not be with guns, it might not be with explosives, religion, ideologies, or even land. But we're at war. We're going to see things. We're going to have to do things. And until I can get away from it, I can't recover and be the person I need to- the person I'm _supposed_ to be." I smiled forlornly, poking his arm until he turned to look at me. "But thank you for looking up to me. Thank you for making me your reason."

Issin let out a shaky breath. "You really know how to take care of your men, you know that?"

"I have to. If I don't, they won't have a reason to take care of me." I tapped the notification that popped up, reading through its contents. "Looks like Dale's going to be with us for the day. Something about wanting to gather materials for when he picks up the Cooking skill."

Issin laughed, taking another breath in an attempt to compose himself. "I'm not entirely sure if picking up Cooking would be the best idea."

I gave a gentle smile and stood. "In the end this is still a game based in reality. Whether or not he's taking the skill to try and recreate some semblance of his past or if it's just a way to kill time, who are we to judge? We can advise, but in the end it's still his own choice."

He nodded, manifesting his spear and bracing it on his shoulder. "Yeah, we all have our choices to make. Whether others like them or not, we just have to bear it and live on."

My expression became a little forced. "C'mon. He said he doesn't mind waiting for us in the fields outside Black Iron City while we collect some materials near Horunka. Plus, I've been meaning to visit Hilde. I think there's some materials she'd love to work with."

The twenty-one year old smiled, looking at me with an expression that made me want to take back every single one of my words and profess that I would gladly try to reciprocate his feelings. "Lead the way then, Little Miss."

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"You could have dodged," I commented. Behind me the rough stone of the second floor Tower dug into my hands, the sensation strikingly comforting in comparison to the phantom numbness that flared through my body every time the metal of the taurus' weapon caught the light.

"I'm leveling up my Battle Healing." Keita surged forward, his red and black staff blurring out in a quick series of glowing green strikes. The final attack pushed the minotaur back several feet.

I tutted, mentally critiquing his approach to the situation.

"Shouldn't you be helping me out?" He demanded, repaying an evaded vertical strike with a revolving chain of thrusts.

"You look like you have this covered. Besides, even a passing normal attack from me would shave away a good five percent or so from that thing." I patted the sheathed «Tormenting Reaver», the weapon having received an additional four out of an attempted five upgrades before our trip over.

"But what's the point of having singled me out from everybody else? Are you trying to get me Monster Killed?!" The leader of the Fukasawa children rolled his staff behind his neck, holding the pose for a brief moment before unleashing a near 360 azure strike into the humanoid bovine's knee.

"I'm just watching for now." I nodded approvingly. While I would never have made such a close counter unless to prove a point, that he was able to pull it off in the first place brought a small sense of pride to my heart.

"That's all you ever do!" The weapon glowed once again, Keita spinning the other way with another weak but multi-hitting string. "All you ever do for is is watch or stand to the side, taking kills or kiting monsters! I thought you were supposed to be teaching us, not playing chaperone!"

I shook my head and entered a stance, adjusting my follow through slightly so that the tip of my blade would knock away the Lesser Taurus Striker's axe instead of blinking me through it. "Funny. I distinctly remember talking to each of you back on the first floor about the different drills you needed to take in order to improve your combat abilities." I hefted my sword, impassionately watching the monster raise its axe once again. "Besides, why are you complaining? You get all the experience and cor from this situation, and I get any material drops that I might need."

My left hand blurred out, the system assisted deflection causing the massive hunk of metal to bury into the ground on my left. "Now come on, that thing's three more sword skills from dying." The brunet growled, moving out from my right and taking advantage of the opening I had provided. "How's things with your team?" I questioned.

"We're doing just fine." The teen huffed, sullenly looking through the pop up that had appeared.

"C'mon, Keita. I know you have a problem with me, but that doesn't mean you have to be an angsty teenager that I have to try and procure conversations from with all the tenderness and skill of a heart surgeon." I rolled my eyes, internally screaming about the irritations of adolescence. "Seriously, despite whatever grudges you have, whatever preconceived notions of superiority or whatever it is you think I'm trying to lord over you, I'm here to help."

"Ducker wants to take after you," he begrudgingly stated. "He doesn't talk about it, but whenever we're in a safe zone he runs off on his own and starts imitating all the things you've done. Attack an imaginary mob then retreating, running to the opposite side of the field and repeating the same action; it looks like he's just practicing jump stops but then he starts weaving around markers he placed on the floor. They look exactly like a group of monsters or allies fighting off their own battles."

I bit my lip, contemplating whether or not I should try to deter the dagger user. "It sounds like you don't approve."

"Ducker's our treasure hunter. That's what he's spec'd out for, even it he can't grind his lock picking abilities because there aren't any repeatable dungeons yet."

I laid a hand on his shoulder, gently pulling him back. "Keep talking. Take advantage of any openings I provide."

"You're too violent, Asasaki." I frowned, positioning so that «Pierce the Sun» would impact squarely onto the side of the taurus' hammer. "We're just teens, we shouldn't be fighting like this! Ducker shouldn't be wanting to learn how to make things to chase him around whenever he pleases! We should be having fun, studying, going out and playing games at the arcade, not, not this!"

I snapped out, right foot impacting ineffectively against against the humanoid's shin. "So what do you want me to do about it?" I retorted, driving my blade in and out through the beast's inner thighs before retreating to the other side.

"Stop hanging around us!" He yelled.

"And what? Leave you all alone to die?!" I leapt into the air, rotating my body to land on the swinging weapon. "I already know you, Keita! I already trained you, I already learned a little about you kids!" I sprinted up the taurus' arm. Grabbing hold of a small patch of hair, the system and I drove the barbed length of metal through the beast's face repeatedly, the jack hammering strikes carving away swathes of its health bar with every stab.

The club leader glared at me, visually tracking me as I recovered from the sudden lack of support. "How about you stop fighting like that, for starters?"

I scoffed. "That? My strength stat is only at a 12. The only way I can actually deal any kind of significant damage is if I go for those sure hit critical zones or if my sword skills get lucky." I shook my head. "But fine. If it's seriously bothering you that much, I won't be as vicious."

"Thank you." Keita turned away from me, fiddling with his interface. "That one dropped a Scrap of Corinthian Leather." He initiated the trade, seemingly disgusted with even the third hand associations of dealing with me. "What do you even need that stuff for, anyway?" He asked, trailing behind.

"It's just one of the components I need to upgrade my armor." I patted my chestpiece, the metal resonating dully. "The other part is some metal fragments I need to get from the insectoid monsters in the caves around here and that's just for the base upgrades. If I really want to boost my chances of success as well as the upper limit of each stat increase, I need to toss in metal fragments from all the monsters I come across."

When we got back to the meeting place I stilled and licked the back of my teeth. I wasn't entirely jealous, but the fact remained that Sachi had completely thrown off the shy and embarrassed persona she carried around me, jubily chatting up the unbalanced Dale. "Keita, I'm asking you under the pretense of a friend. Sachi doesn't hate me, right? This is just an oddity?"

He said nothing for several moments. I couldn't tell whether or not he was purposely drawing out the silence in an attempt to make me uncomfortable or if he wasn't actually sure himself. "I'm pretty sure this is entirely because she has an older brother that's kind of as big as him. Not in the height department, but definitely in size."

I laughed awkwardly. It wouldn't be the first time I'd heard of somebody connecting with another due to passing familiarities. "That's good to hear."

"Keita!" Sachi turned towards us and waved with a free hand, beaming. "I finally did it! I took down a monster all on my own!"

I smiled softly, trying not to show my disappointment at not being greeted. Keita broke into a jog. A wide grin blossomed on his face as he stowed away his weapon, holding his arms out for an hug. "That's great, Sachi! I'm really proud of you!"

"It was really scary, but Dale and Ducker were standing right behind me in case I needed any help!" The girl giggled, looking at her leader joyously. The lone female of the Fukasawa kids pulled away and tittered off, excitedly pulling Ducker towards another taurus.

"Hello there, Mr. Dale," I joked, giving a short curtsey.

"Lady Asasaki, you needn't go that far. You are my superior, after all." The man smiled and gave a light bow in return, his two handed blade resting in its wooden sheath.

"Only because of knowledge. You're more experienced than me, in more ways than one." I tilted my head, amused by his response.

"Is this some kind of weird foreplay?" Keita cut in. "Because if it is I'm just going to step away and hang out with Issin." The teen gave me a nauseated look, a thumb jabbed towards the spear user in question.

Dale stared at me, blinking in confusion. "No, this is just us joking around." I shook my head, denying any sort of involvement with the teen's behavior. "I'm the one that taught them how to actually use their weapons. But I'm also the second lowest level player in our guild." I pursed my lips, looking at the player list for our guild. "How _is_ Choryu lower than me anyway? I swear he goes out and fights more than me."

"It's because he spends most of that time building up his bestiary as well as voluntarily taking a hit to his experience intake whenever we go out. He says it's because he feels bad about staying back and taking pictures instead of fighting with everybody." Dale crossed his arm, head tilting slightly. "I think the fact that Asahi seems to have a constant stream of requests for monster information is helping him out a lot. Apparently the pseudo-quests aren't the greatest source of experience, but pretty much anything we gain from the Contract skill is because of things we normally do and just have to report."

"Bah, speak for yourself." I sighed dramatically. "All Mitsui has me doing is running around delivering things for her. Honestly, I'm half tempted to start charging her cor for my services." I cracked a grin, turning to look at the teen behind me. "Alrighty then, Kei! Enough of a break. Time we got back to it!"

He leaned forward, scowling. "You better help me out this time instead of just standing there and watching like you did the last three times!"

"Yeah, yeah. Now come on, go find something for us. I'll catch up to you in a sec." The teen marched off towards the corridor we had claimed for ourselves, his weapon slung over his shoulders. I turned and looked at back the junction. At the western end Issin was talking to Tetsuo and Sasamaru, slowly going through the motions of conjoined shield and spear formation that he'd been working on with Harry and Dynamm. "Nope, not even a flicker of anything," I whispered. A scream of self righteous rage pulled my attention back towards my assigned student. "Coming, coming!"

* * *

 _Next chapter should be up Nov 24-25_


	21. Afforestation

_Somehow I ended up on the BGM of Wind Waker's 'Earth Temple' theme while writing the Tower section. That immediately brought back the horrendous memories of my voluntarily blind run of Runescape's 'Mourning's End Part 2' because I got so frustrated with the BGM for the related puzzle that it was causing me rage just by listening to it. I was doing my best to channel that frustration; hopefully it carried through._

 _Side note, this ended up not getting done and edited until November 23rd, the day before I was supposed to release it, even though a good majority of it was finished by Monday the 20th or so. Additionally, thanks to family I totally forgot to try and get this uploaded Friday morning. A Saturday Morning upload is close enough?_

* * *

I took a deep breath, letting the superfluous action dictate the pace of my movements. Behind me and to my left, Ducker followed along, replicating the self styled forms. Each pattern having been designed for use in an urban environment, surrounded by furniture whether intact or broken. In one grouping, the form assumed that there was a large square table in the center. In another, the square room was assumed to have couches ringing the walls. It was also only one half of the series. I knew its sibling pattern, but the only variation there was to cover more than one opponent. "I hear that you want to try and learn how to fight like me," I stated.

"Keita tell you?" The teen asked.

"Pretty much. He also told me a handful of other things, and upon reflection I'm inclined to agree." My leg slowly moved out in a kick, moving with all the poise traditionally attributed to Tai Chi.

"What did he talk to you about?"

"How he's not exactly happy with how I've been influencing you guys; that with all of you just being teenagers, he'd rather you guys have fun doing quests, fighting monsters, and enjoying the land instead of wanting to imitate me. How to imitate a killer."

"But you're not a killer, Miss Asasaki. You're a protector, a hero."

My cheek twitched, my body holding the defensive stance a little longer than necessary. "I'm going to speed up a bit, try to keep up. Don't worry about doing it perfectly, just make sure the motions are just about the same." I changed to the sibling form for the next set, trying not to let the emotions brought up by his choice in vernacular bother me. "You know how I developed this sort of style, right?"

"From watching movies, games, and real life training?" He hazarded innocently.

"From fighting other people in the real world, sometimes for our lives." I raised my right leg, slowly moving into an advancing series of strikes that would have forced my target into the waiting form of my partner. "I'm not joking about that 'killer' thing, Ducker. If you try to imitate me, you're trying to learn how to make the most efficient moves in taking down a living, breathing opponent."

"That's fine."

I held out my other leg, slowly pulling it back in and pivoting around into a downward knife block on the other side. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen!" He answered happily.

"You're not even old enough to legally have sex," I said bluntly. "And you're wanting to learn how to kill?"

"Well, I mean." I wish I could stop to properly have this conversation, but if I didn't take care of my daily exercises now then I would never have found the time for it once I returned to the fourth floor. "You know Sasamaru almost died the other day, right? We got stuck in a cave system somewhere past Urbus. We couldn't find our way out for a couple of days. I'm pretty sure we would never have gotten out of there if it wasn't for a couple of cosplaying Ninja that were passing through."

I closed my eyes, letting out another controlled breath. "Why'd you guys go in a cave system if you didn't have the information for it?"

"We thought we could handle it. We're kind of over leveled for the region and our teamwork is pretty spot on there days. The only issues is me being a little too excited to go in and start fighting and Sachi keeps flinching whenever she gets singled out." The blonde let out a thoughtful sound. "She's getting better, but every single time she goes up against a new monster it always takes her a second to remember that she can actually take it down and not be the one taken down."

"Haven't you guys been at this for a couple of weeks though?" I cycled through several moves, using a knife hand to replace the weapon that the sequence asked for.

"Just because we've been doing this for a couple of days doesn't mean we're still used to everything. When you first started out, were you able to get your sword skills out without any problems at all?"

I clicked my tongue, finding no fault in his logic. "Still though, I find it a little strange that it hasn't been beaten out of her yet."

"And that's exactly why I want you to train me, Miss Asasaki!" I turned around, sheathing the imaginary blade with a flourish. Ducker was staring at me proudly, having stopped moving alongside me several forms ago. "I want you to train me, so I can fight like you. That way, Sachi won't _need_ that beaten out of her. I know I'm just a kid, I know you're an adult and want me to be as innocent as possible, I know that Keita wants us all to just stay kids and not be forced to become as mature as him, but we can't." The kid shrugged impassively, his face still maintaining a youthful optimism.

"But eventually we're going to have to grow up. We've been here for two months, and we've only beaten four floors out of a hundred. At that rate, it's going to take us maybe four years just to get out of here. I'm going to be seventeen by then, Miss Asasaki. I don't think I could bear sitting around, twiddling my thumbs, just hoping that the adults are strong and smart enough to get us all out of here. I want to be up there at some point, on the front lines. I want to do what I can so that Sachi and others like here can stay innocent and not have to cry because they messed up or got attacked." He looked at me self-consciously. "You can understand that, right?"

"Of course I can. Everything you just said? Apply to that to me, but replace you with Sachi." I began sorting out my inventory to keep my mind partially focused, grumbling meaningless things under my breath.

"So? Will you teach me?"

I shook my head. "I won't teach you everything. I'll teach you pins, grapples, and how to move through all your attacks fluidly, but I won't teach you how to make those final blows. I won't be responsible for producing a child soldier."

"But what would be wrong with that? If I knew how to fight, I'd be able to stand up there right alongside you guys-"

"A child soldier means that you'll be facing up against things that you have no right, no _reason_ to be facing. It means taking lives with you own two hands. It means making decisions that not even adults can make easily." I stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder, holding his gaze for a moment before speaking again. "It means that you'll be growing up with a life of war, and separating that between a civilian life is a difficult process."

"Miss Asasaki, I don't think we're actually able to be called civilians anymore."

"And that right there is the problem," I said softly. "You're not exactly civilians anymore, but you're still several steps away from being called a soldier. You still have a chance." The memory of Kirito and Asuna fighting side by side on the first floor, blurred by rage but nonetheless identifiable played through my mind. I sighed. "I won't start teaching you anything until at least next week. What I can teach you depends on entirely how well you can go through all those forms I taught you when I was helping you kids back on out on the first floor. I'm no good with sword skills, but I can work a lot with natural abilities."

Ducker beamed. "Alright. I won't let you down."

"You're already letting me down by asking for this," I corrected. "What you need to do now is not let yourself down, and to always remember the reason why you're asking for this." I shot Issin a message, letting him know that I would be making my way to Urbus shortly. "Oh, and Ducker?" I gave the teen a small smile, waving as I walked away. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, Miss Asasaki!"

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I slashed through a «Sahuagin Scout», the bipedal fish shattering in a shower of blue shards. "This makes absolutely no sense!" I cracked, scanning the battlefield for my next target.

"Is it the fish monsters wandering on land, a good hour or so away from any water, or is it the fact that we have a large group of said monsters blocking the path to the mountain pass?" Harry bolted away from the monster I had just pulled aggro from, his glowing shield carrying him a ways and slamming back one of the armored spear users.

"Why not both?" I yelled, pulling one of the blue scaled beasts in by its weapon and goring it through it's stomach. _How does it feel, bastard?!_

"Fūrinkazan, to me!" Harry accentuated his rally cry by jabbing his sword into the air. Smoothly he pulled it back and stabbed into a sahuagin, its spear sliding ineffectively across his shield.

Our group of eighteen formed up, our tanks and two handers gathering in a loose variant of the formation Harry and Klein had affectionately called 'The Dragon's Teeth'. If we had enough people we would have appeared as jagged wall of tank users flanked by normal damage dealers, two handed weapon uses at every trough. As it was, we were only segmented arrowheads, forcing our way through the horde of monsters and letting the essential army surround us.

Were we not as numerous as we were, the decision to willingly throw ourselves into their midst would have been a death sentence. Unfortunately for these creatures they were a much lower level than us, the only other hazard aside from their numbers being their spears. Once we got past the range, it was a simple matter to kill them before their programming could make the switch to the short swords at their sides. At Harry's command we broke apart, engaging the army on our own terms.

A short while later I sheathed my blade unceremoniously, the last of the creatures fragmenting into data. "Harry, I'm going to file a complaint in advance. If we end up eating fish in the next five weeks, somebody's getting stabbed."

"Just make sure it's an enemy and not somebody friendly." The second in command of Fūrinkazan huffed and took off his armet, his hair miraculously unmatted from the helm. "How many monsters was that though?" He questioned.

"One hundred? One hundred fifty?" I shook my head, manually removing my armor and placing it gently on the ground. "I lost track once I started getting notifications that my inventory was too full. Again."

The teen glanced at me, quickly looking away upon realizing that I was in the midst of stretching. "With how often you go out and do all these hour long hunts, you should think about picking up the Extended Weight Limit skill. I'm sure you'd be able to catch up with those who already have it in a couple weeks if you keep this up."

"No thanks." I pulled myself forward, stretching out my stomach. "Once I hit Twenty I'm pretty sure I'm going to be picking up the Sprint skill. I kept debating on getting Hide, but I'm going to get more use out of flitting around instead of evading detection. I'm sure I'll pick that skill up eventually though."

Harry waved Dale over, the man jogging away from Yamaguchi and the goblins. "We're going to need to send a couple people back to Rovia. After that fight we're all carrying way too much."

I tuned out their conversation, looking through all the drops I had picked up to the list of materials I recorded for my equipment upgrades. I still needed to pick up more leather and fragments from the taurus' on the second floor, but according to Argo's guide the sahuagin items all carried a small chance to increase the agility stat of armor if used as a secondary ingredient. With unnecessary flourish, I moved the items over to my first box, mechanically sorting the rest of them with a single button.

"Asasaki? Asasaki!"

I jerked away, performing a slightly awkward roll and landing in a crouched position with my blade drawn.

"Easy, easy." Harry motioned placatingly with both hands, a concerned look on both his and Dale's face. "I was asking if you wouldn't mind going with Dale and Issin back to Rovia. Klein's going to meet you guys there. Apparently you're supposed to sell some information to Argo over on the fifth floor."

"They couldn't have done it on their own?" I questioned, asking for his help in putting my vambraces and cuirass back on.

"They said she has a job that only you can perform. She'll be meeting you near the teleport gate."

I shook my arms out, waiting a few moments for the system mechanics to return the strings to the preferences I had set. "Should I just start running then or…"

"It'd be better if we stayed as a group." Dale shaded his eyes from the sun, staring at at the plains we had traversed. "Who knows if the monsters here are normally supposed to be this plentiful. Argo's guide only mentioned the types of monsters we could find out here, not how many."

"Fair enough. Shall we get going?" I reached up and idly redid the ties for my headguard, pulling the knot tightly.

"Maybe in another ten minutes or so," the two handed stated. "Issin said something about wanting to take a small break, how he over exerted himself trying to show up Tarthuul."

"Yeah, that sounds like something he'd do," I agreed. "Back in the Fallen Dungeon he got pretty annoyed when he found out how many monsters the guy ended up killing compared to him." I sat back down, content with watching everyone continue winding down.

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Dale and I raised a hand in unison, waving over the curved blade and dagger users. "You guys have a nice time over on the fifth?" I asked, giving my customary nod whenever we gathered back together.

"Can't exactly say it was nice, but it was interesting for sure." Klein bumped fists with Dale, giving the man in a quick hug.

"The fifth floor is pretty much nothing but undead of the skeletal and zombie sort. There's some ratmen wandering around, but basically if you can imagine it in a 'sewer' level you'll find it." Haru made copies of the newest info, trading the pages over to me. "Oh, you'll also need this." He manifested an odd looking copy of the 5th floor guide, physically trading it over.

"Most of the quests there were all about exploring the ruins. It was actually pretty interesting. I felt like we were Laura Croft for a while." To Issin, our guild leader gave a long embrace that felt like it was carrying a hefty amount of unspoken words.

"Are torches required?" Dale questioned, a hand flicking through windows.

"For the most part, no. There's some magical torches set up, but in a handful of places somebody needs to be providing a light source if you want to find the hidden treasures." Choryu nodded suddenly, recalling something. "The fifth floor has some dungeons that are repeatable. A few of them are daily things, but then there are others that seem like they have a long wait period between each attempt." The office worker chuckled. "There's even one that's repeatable as many times as you want if you're hurting for cor. There's artifacts you can collect and sell to the NPC's topside."

"You need to keep in mind the timer though. It's not exactly a window that gets shown, but there's a mist down there that creeps up on you. Stay down there too long and it starts burning down your health." Klein grimaced at that, the kind of grim acceptance that only appeared when informed about the resources required to gain information.

Dale tilted his head. "Is there a set timer or does it change from attempt to attempt?"

"So far it seems like the timer is around five minutes or so. Ah!" The swordsmen jumped and spun towards me. "Asasaki, you need to get going! We told Argo that you'd be able to take care of something in her place!" He quickly traded over a handful of potions, roughly pushing me towards the portal. "She'll tell you everything you need to know once you get in there, and be safe!" Utilizing the voice commands, Klein gave me another shove, sending me stumbling through the blue gate.

I caught myself on the stone guard rail on the other side of the portal, leaping back when the material dissipated under my grasp. "Thanks, Guild Master," I muttered. I rose my head and stared out at the decrepit buildings of the fifth floor's main city, the name 'Karluin' rising out of flatly drawn ruins. After a moment the word faded, my HUD returning it back to view.

"You're kind of late, aren't you, Asa-chaN?"

"We got side tracked by fatigue," I answered, the only sign of my annoyance being a single facial twitch.

"Klein and Choryu told me to talk to yoU." The Rat stepped to my side, staring out at the vista. "Said that you'd have something to share regarding that little «Contract» skill of yourS?"

I looked up looked up at her, brow furrowed. "Sorry, you're going to have to be a little more concise than that."

She cleared her throat, imitating Klein to an uncanny degree. "Asasaki's the one invested in this whole quest line. Plus, I'm pretty sure she's the only one who has the full details here." She closed her eyes, presumably taking a moment to compose herself.

More statement than question, "You do that inflection at the end of every sentence on purpose, don't you?"

"5,000 coR."

"Pass." I shook my head. "Is there any chance we can get a better view while we talk? I want to take a better look at the region."

The Rat brought a hand to the railing, slowly tapping each finger in sequence. "I suppose I could lead you somewhere, but if I don't think the information is worth it I'm charging yoU."

"Like I wouldn't have opened up trade window if I didn't think it would be worth it for you," I deadpanned.

She snickered. "How high's your Acrobatics skill?"

"158," I responded, wondering why she nearly tripped.

"Nevermind, theN. You'll be able to make the trip without any problemS. Just make sure to step exactly where I go, or at least be ready to catch yourselF." Argo led me into the ancient castle directly behind us, guiding us along the edges of the courtyard.

"If I asked how bad it could be," I trailed off, taking in the ruined castle slowly being reclaimed by nature.

"Nearly every genre savvy person would start screaming at you for setting up a flag like thaT." The broker grabbed my hand and pulled me through a passage that led to another enclosure.

I sighed grumpily. "Alright then. Let's get to it."

The trek turned out to be worse than I expected, but utterly tame once we started. After having climbed up eight foot tall bovines, scaling the outside of three story fort by running up it, and taking a some seven floor or more jump and surviving nearly every three days, the slow crawl up the castle walls was extremely cathartic.

"There's just a handful of platforms lefT." Argo held out an unnecessary hand for me, needing both to pull me up the rest of the way. After a moment she led me inside, signalling for a quick breather.

"Is this place quest related?" I begrudgingly forked over the 200 cor for the information, deciding to believe her claim of not having mass produced a guide for the region yet.

"All currently known quests in the region set you into the catacombs underneath or at the other settlementS. They're based around collecting lost heirloomS." Argo backed up a few steps. With an oddly cute grunt, she began scurrying along the wall and up to the next landing.

"So absolutely no idea for here then?" I asked, making a deduction based on her phrasing.

"I wouldn't phrase it like that, and I request that you don't tell people that until the guide for the region gets published." Argo pointed towards the next level section of stone. "Not until you and your group decide to settle here and use that Contract skill of yours and sniff out everything I'm missinG."

"The Rat? Missing something? She must be losing her touch." I laughed and set off in the opposite direction, kicking off the last few steps and landed there moments before her. "You seem distracted." I reached up and tapped her nose, snickering at the bewildered expression she gave.

"I'm just really curious about what happened the past few dayS." Argo returned my tap with a quick shove, taking advantage of the brief moment I was stunned to break ahead.

"Cheater!" I chased her the rest of the way up the tower, taking a few seconds at the second to last platform to recharge my run timer. Immediately upon landing all sounded faded away, nothing my but footsteps guiding me up the stairwell. The following room was incongruous to the rest of the tower, its circular walls untouched by the ravages of time. In the center of the floor a smooth relief of four fleur de lis' set in a cross design carved from the white stone sat, a complex ring of lines bordering it.

"Over herE." Argo awaited at a sun kissed balcony, withered faded purple fabrics resting on either side of the archway.

"Damn, I'm starting to rethink whether or not the information I have for you is worth this view." I walked over to the railing, gingerly testing my weight against it before sitting down. "Look, I don't have any other way to start this so humor me. What do you know of the Elven Questline?"

"The Elven Questline starts on the third floor, located in the central region of the Forest of Wavering Mist, south of the riveR. The starting quest is best located through sound, though there are other methods such as using the tracking function of «SearcH». Upon finding the region, the player and their allies must make a decision on which elf to assisT. The Forest Elf, or the Dark ElF. Regardless of their decision, the players will be knocked down into the Yellow or Red, at which point the enemy elf will unleash a final gambit on the playerS."

"The elf they chose to assist will intercept the suicidal elf and save the playerS. Once this happens, the allied elf will pass on their final ta0K. Deliver the Jade Key to their respective basE. The players can of course decide not to do this and sell the Jade Key to an NPC for a very nice sum of money, but they will no longer be able to perform the quest, not unless they join up with a player who has chosen the same side as them but has not yet delivered the keY."

I grunted, glad to have the broker confirm my suspicions. "Choryu and I started the quest two days ago, in the specified region. We had our combat capable allies from Tolbana with us." I brushed my fingers through my air, basking in the wind. "Everything went just about the same way. We fought, I got brought down into the yellow, the Forest Elf we chose to help didn't really participate in the battle, but he still passed on his orders."

I brought my fingers to my lips, turning the motion of bringing a cigarette to my mouth into a small massage. "He was trying to get a peace treaty going," I started. "Something about how the Fallen Elves in the region had taken over their Spirit Tree to the West and was systematically taking down their camps one by one." I rubbed my stomach with my left hand, recalling the sensation of something pressing against my back and disappearing into a numb void.

"The Elven Questline we walked into was an Elven War, Argo." I stared down at the castle's main courtyard. "As far as I know, the Forest Elf population on the third floor for Fūrinkazan has been reduced to one coherent Sergeant and two barely responsive husks."

I glanced over at her, nodding somberly at her expression. "The last thing we did in the region was walk into a trap. From what we gathered, the Forest Elf in charge of the region was working with the Fallen Elves. They had an artifact." I frowned, recalling the golden sigil of a cat's eye surrounded by a square that Yamaguchi had taken off Harak'thaar's corpse. "Apparently it was a way to interface with raw crystals that grew from a tree in the dungeon we went into. The Fallen leader was using the artifact to create healing crystals, or so we believe." I uncoiled my legs from the pillar and flipped over backwards, spinning on a single foot and resting against the railing. "Something like that," I looked up at the sky, "was never in the beta, right?"

Argo quietly sat down next to me and pulled me into a tight, one armed hug. "No, I can't say that it waS."

"Didn't I tell you before that it's supposed to be my job as the older one to do the comforting?" I turned to look at her, thoughts freezing when I felt her minute trembles.

"You arE," she whispered. I maneuvered myself so I could reciprocate the hug, letting her silently cry into my shoulder.

"What happened?" I asked quietly.

"They had this really awful look in their eyeS," she whispered. "The moment I asked what they've been up to, both of them just froze and stared off into the distancE. I've never seen anything like iT." She quickly pulled her hood over her head before curling into my chest. "If you said you got into a war, an actual one, what does that mean for the rest of the quesT? For the rest of uS?"

I stilled, realizing the problem. "What have Kirito and Asuna been up to?"

"They've been exploring all the dungeons in the areA." The young woman's hands slowly roamed my body, searching for a sizeable piece of clothing to grip. "They're supposed to be clearing the labyrinth today with some otherS. They didn't want the other guilds to fight over the last attack drop." Argo suddenly looked up at me, eyes blazing. "You'll protect them, righT? You won't let them see whatever happened to your grouP? They're just kids, AsasakI!" Her last words were slightly crazed, her breath barely controlled enough to just skirt away from being called hyperventilating.

"I'll do what I can, but I don't see-"

"I only stayed here today because I was supposed you meet with KleiN. He told me you'd go in my placE." Argo pulled away, furiously working her interface. "They're at a set of ruins to the easT. The entrance is in the graveyarD. You have to go down for a few levels before you can start climbing uP. Bring a torcH." The woman quickly worked through the buttons, telling me to pay her back later. "This is everything you need to get there safelY." Her hand paused, inches away from tapping the confirmation button. "They're just kids, AsasakI," she breathed.

"I know. But they're also at the front lines. I can't protect them from everything, but I can limit their exposure." I smiled bleakly. "That's what I'm supposed to do as an adult, isn't it? Teach the next generation and guide them into maturity?"

Argo nodded slowly, finishing the transaction. After a moment she looked back up, a her panicked gaze slowly becoming distraught. "Asasaki?"

"This is a safe zone?" At her hesitant nod, I smirked. "So no worries. I won't take any damage. I've done this before in Tolbana. It's much higher than there, but it's basically the same principle." I looked over the edge, reflexively swallowing at the height. "Argo? Despite all the grief I give you, I want you to know you're a good person." I hopped off the edge, inverting my body to see if she had leaned over to watch me. She hadn't.

 _Please don't let that be a mistake._

I took a deep breath, reorienting myself to increase my drag.

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"Seriously, fuck Kayaba." I brought a hand to my face, smushing the potion components closer to my mouth. At first the smell within the fifth floor Tower was nothing more than damp and stale air, but the higher I progressed the more the overbearing the stench of decay became. It ended up reaching the point where I had to change into the ninja outfit Shen had given me so I could stuff spare herbs into the face mask for a filter.

When the patrolling group of skeletons and zombies passed by, I leapt off the damaged platform and began making my way across the various fixtures in an elevated game of 'The Floor is Lava'.

I stilled at the top of a broken pillar, another group of undead passing by. Being essentially a full floor above them, the monsters would have posed no problem to me were it not for the fact that on more than one occasion a platform I had chosen to step on immediately began crumbling under my feet.

 _This is just flat out cheating though._

The only reason I was progressing so quickly through the twenty levels was because I could freely abuse my Acrobatics skill. Several times throughout the dungeon the floor above had fallen through, each opening positioned in a way that seemed completely natural yet was conveniently located near scalable pillars or walls with portions of the flooring intact enough to allow the placement of hands or feet.

It was after crossing a series of handholds placed along a two story drop that a thought occurred to me. "If there's a light puzzle here, I'm going to stab that bastard in the gut," I uttered darkly. I lunged to the side, catching myself on the dilapidated flooring. With a huff, I pulled myself up, rolling forward into a defensive crouch while I took stock of my surroundings. The section I had just arrived in was a rather small intersection, the halls wide enough for only a single person to walk down at a time.

I folded my arms, eyes flicking towards the forcibly compressed map. "If I was an impetuous thirteen year old, where would I go?" With a partially stifled groan, I trodded down the eastern path, presuming that it was the only one that lead into the heart of the fourteenth level.

For what felt like hours I wandered the level, my steps accompanied by an ever present mix of pendulic drums and offbeat maraca. Once in awhile the sound of falling rubble or groans of either monsters or spontaneous movement of air throughout the dungeon would reach my ears, the noises the only reprieve from the homogenous environment.

I grit back a curse, taking a deep breath through my mint scented face mask. "Twenty goddamn minutes on this floor and it turns out to be a fucking dead end." There was the rare (and easily dispatched) skeleton and zombie, but aside from that and the handful of chests I dared not touch this level was completely worthless.

I made my way back to the stairs leading down to the thirteenth level, angrily rolling a potion around in my hand. It wouldn't have been the first time I discovered a dead end; the same had nearly occurred on the sixth and ninth; my only saving grace for those two was a section of crumbled flooring that managed to lead up two floors instead of the usual one.

"Ke." Letting the rush of air take the place of a curse, I charged forward and began whittling down the group of three skeletons, their chipped and rusted axes cutting nothing but air. With none of my usual pomp, «Armor Splitter» was returned back to its sheath, the notifications from the monsters dismissed in favor of relocating the stairwell I had previously ignored. Only superficially aware of my surroundings I continued my journey up the levels, taking whatever shortcuts I could and hoping that it didn't end with me backtracking.

Eventually I found myself in a large circular room. Similar to the giant sahuagin's room on the fourth floor, this room had four beams of light shining down from the ceiling, the hot rays redirected into the center by diagonal slabs of reflective stone that seemed out of place. My eye began twitching when I noticing a gear placed surreptitiously near one of the entry points for the lights. With a long breath I normally used to begin meditation, I pulled open my notepad and inserted in english letters 'STAB KAYABA IN THE STOMACH!'. With that source of irritation shelved I passed through the chamber, forcing myself to ignore the desire to fall asleep in the warm beams.

The remaining four floors passed by fairly uneventfully. It wasn't until I reach the final hall to boss room, a grandiose section filled with rusted sets of armor placed between still burning hearths that I broke out of my trance.

While the armor itself was beyond hope, the swords and shields seemed to have retained their original glory. I knelt down and rubbed away at one of the shields, a terrible plan forming in my mind that I desperately hoped was nothing more than an aesthetic choice and not a mechanical requirement.

With a huff, I attached the small kite shield the size of a buckler to my left forearm. The moment the system recognized it as 'equipped', the item lost all of the dust and grime that had accumulated on it. I stepped up to the massive stone doors, the motif of a crazed golem carved from the material. "Please tell me they noticed this too," I whispered.

Behind the doors, the raid group consisting of a meager two parties cycled through their members, each member sticking around only long enough to handle a single attack or two before retreating for another set. In this manner, through the manipulation of hate skills and strong hitting abilities from the tanks, «Bezalel, Corrupted Protector of the Sand Iron Kingdom» was forcibly kept in the center of the room.

My eyes roamed over to the northern side at the far end of the blistering hot room. Keeping to the same dimensions of the mini-boss room, four beams of light shone directly down through by small cut outs in the rotating ceiling some three or four stories above. The easiest way to find the light source would scaling the Golem and making the leap to the chains dangling from above. The harder way would be to scale one of the eight pillars situated on a circle a few feet outside the path of the lighting.

 _ **They didn't notice.**_

"Of course they didn't," I uttered, walking with one of the beams to reflect it at the beast's chambering fist. "They're here to rush ahead, not play it safe." Restraining a sigh, I surged forward, vaulting over the blocking form of the Vector and speeding up the extended stone limb.

I shut out the surprised calls of my name, instead paying attention to the focus of the golem. The beast had yet to notice me, all of its rage fully directed at the rotating six tanks of which five utilized shields of what had to be the current highest quality.

When it rose back into a standing position I leapt onto its flat head, springboarding off and grabbing onto the longests of the six chains. From this high up, an uncontrolled fall would undoubtedly result in a small moment of Delay and Stun; a moment in which the Golem could take advantage of and crush me in a single blow.

I forced the thoughts out of my mind, instead pulling myself up link by link. Upon nearing the top, I coiled the metal between my feet, letting myself fall flush along the chain. The two parties had been forced to forget about me; YunYun and Siegfried, as well as a duo I only partially recognized, had split off from Kirito's DPS group to deal with the small grouping of axe wielding skeletons that spewed through now opened entrances along the walls while the twin stars themselves flitted around the boss, inflicting strike after strike that for all their damage may as well have been flicks to the forehead.

Slowly I began swinging back and forth, focusing my gaze on a stationary, unlit hole several feet away. With a grunt I grabbed hold of the opening, inching up to my elbows before untangling my feet and pulling myself through. Muffled by the stone, the battle and all its related sounds seemed to be a lifetime away, only the sound of turning gears talking to me.

"I could _really_ use an axe or a maul." I looked around the room, visually grading each piece for their importance in the design of the room. Despite being a completely enclosed edifice of modern- perhaps even fictional material, the space above me seemed to have been completely open to the sky, the construction funnelling a strong wind into the chamber.

With no such oddly placed weapon or device of destruction, I leaned back through the hole I had come through, giving my light bleached eyes a moment to recover before referencing the placement of the pillars to the construction of the non-sentient constructions. "This is like that damn boar all over again." I sat back up and quickly chugged a potion before plummeting through the hole, performing a quick system assisted roll and round off to reduce as much damage as possible.

"Oi, Kii!" I waved my free hand, snagging the teen's attention when he completed an attack run. "Call the DPS off, I'm doing something stupid!" I ran closer to the tanks, positioning so that my liberated shield would reflect light at yet another one of the golem's attacking fists. "Vector, stand over there and push me to the side!" I gestured wildly with my sword arm to the pillar to the east, walking with the beam of light until I returned to my self-designated 9 o'clock.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Agil clashed his glowing two handed axe against the now fully rest fist of the golem, the impact pushing him back slightly with minimal damage.

"Something stupid and insane!" I whooped. "Reduce your output on both damage and hate!" I swapped out to Tormenting Reaver, my head growing woozy despite my confidence in executing the modification to my plan. "Isuke, don't let me down!" I charged in, unleashing skill after skill upon the golem's legs before dashing twice towards the pillar I had direct Vector to.

Noticing the rapidly approaching death sentence, the shield and axe wielding man tackled me to the side, looming over me like lover would once he recovered. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"That I'm going to bring down the roof!" I directed the man to bring me closer to the others, the man tossing me roughly over his shoulder. "Tanks, make it face north!" I banged my fist against Vector's armor, letting him know to drop me. I explained my plan to him excitedly, the man's eyes widening when he realized the process would make the fight go by significantly easier.

"You're a madman," he called out, moving into position.

"I prefer the terms creative and inventive!" I ran over to Kirito, handing over my buckler and letting him in on my suspicions. "Keep everybody else safely away, once that thing comes down and the light starts shining, go back to whatever plan you had before." The black haired swordsman nodded, continuing his role of raid leader with a determination that made my heart weep with bittersweet pride.

Several times later, the stone supporting the gears crumbled down, doubling the amount of damage that had been dealt to the beast throughout the entire fight. "Hang back, wait for the form change!" I yelled in the deafening silence.

True to my words, the hardened black outer layer rapidly began turning red, the material crumbling away and turning the layer underneath that sunburnt red as well.

"Asasaki, with me! We need to get that thing to clear some space! Tanks, DPS, hang back!" Kirito dashed over the rubble, focused entirely on the exposed golem.

"I better not deal more damage than you!" I taunted, bounding over to him. Together we rotated around the beast, both of us utilizing our Acrobatics skill to the fullest to evade the enraged punches that shattered the rubble around us into nothingness.

"Tanks, in! DPS, same pattern as before!" Kirito rolled to the side, the shield I had given him tossed aside long ago. "Asasaki, wait for Vector to swap out before doing your thing. You two work well together. Don't let us down." The teen relayed his instructions to Agil's group, charging forward and dealing his own three hit combo before leaping back.

 _This feels amazing. Is this what Klein and the others felt whenever they played their games?_ I grinned and let loose another combo, abusing the same system assisted punch-dash-punch chain to get away from the beast.

"Asasaki, you are quite possibly the most insane person I've ever met. And we have a teen leading a two, barely three, party raid group that's succeeding."

"Odds are just a number!" I grinned and handed the man a pair of potions, my heart rejoicing with both the call of battle and a euphoric sense of camaraderie. It wasn't the non-stop action I was used to with Fūrinkazan, but sitting and waiting my turn, performing my duties and having somebody there to assist me after each attempt? The moment I was able to perform this with Fūrinkazan would never arrive soon enough.

Over and over we assaulted the boss, a newborn machine continually tinkered on by a fledgling but prodigal inventor. With every pass the mistakes that had previously occurred were pressed out. It wasn't quite the exact, fraction of a second delay I used to know, but by the time we reduced that to no more than half second pauses the boss had disappeared, its body swelling outward into a flurry of shards centered around the tip of my blade after my final skyward «Pierce the Sun».

I landed on my feet, weapon still extended while the some three second delay began ticking away. Around me the other players began cheering excitedly. Agil and two members I pinned down as being part of the Liberation Squad and Dragon Knights, wielding a maul and sword and shield respectively, gathered around me. "You know, I can't but feel like I did something wrong," I stated, looking at their stoic faces.

"You're part of a Fūmaningun , aren't you?" The Dragon Knight said.

"No, I'm actually part of Fūrinkazan, thought I can see why you'd be confused." I reached up and pulled the crushed leaves out, tucking the mass into my inventory before pulling the face mask off.

"I asked for her to be here. Argo had things she needed to take care of and so Asasaki was sent in her place. Don't worry, she knows the rule. She's not allowed to use the banner nor can she sell it." Kirito looked at me in what was probably a stern look, though coming from him it was utterly diminished by his slight babyish features.

"In any case, there's the matter of loot to be discussed." The green clothed Liberation Squad member stared at me. "Kirito, we know you don't care much for boss drops, but as for you," His cheeks pulled up marginally, likely a result of eyes hidden by his helmet narrowing, "being the one who got the last hit and actually being conscious this time around, we'll need you to send everything but that banner into the loot box. Raid rules state that everything but the LA or Trash drops have to be rolled for if any participants want them."

I did as requested, leaving open the after action report for review. "Do they normally do that?" I motioned towards the retreating forms of Kirito and Asuna, tapping the button to participate in the roll for an «Ancient Dagger».

"Yup. Seems to be their M.O. these days. Roll into the boss room, take the Last Attack, then immediately set off to the next floor." Agil let out a joking, kid friendly curse when the roll for a two handed axe went to the ALS representative named Okotan.

"The guilds aren't exactly happy with them, but they leave the hunting spots alone, so we don't have much fuss with them."

I nodded at the Shivata, the Sword and Shield user from DKB. "Most of their experience and level ups come from questing then?"

"Pretty much." Okotan pulled off his own helm, waving a hand in an attempt to cool himself down. "The only times we ever see them in the main cities is when it's the only one unlocked, when we have a boss meeting, or if we get unlucky."

"You call it unlucky, but if only your leaders could pull their heads out of their ass and play nice instead of squabbling like school children over who has the cooler outfit y'all could probably ask those two for information instead of shoving your heads between Argo's-"

"Agil, play nice," I told him in english, noticing the strangled expressions from the other two. "He does have a point though. I'm pretty sure if you worked with those two you could get stuff for cheaper instead of going through any of the information brokers." I made a celebratory fist when the roll for a metal helmet went to me.

"Kirito works closely with the Rat," the ALS representative said. "Any time we tried to get any sort of information from him he just told us to look for the next edition of the guide book."

 _Still socially awkward then or is this something else?_ I shook my head. "By the way, why are you two here? I was under the impression that the ALS and DKB had an intense rivalry going on."

"On the record, we're all here because we wanted personal access to the drops without having to worry about the rest of the raiders. Off the record," Agil pointed towards me, "we did it because if a guild got ahold of that banner it'd be a massively unfair advantage for the owner, especially since it's a boss drop and won't every show up again."

I nodded, pretending to understand the situation completely. I clapped gently for the Dragon Knight representative when the last item went to him, quelling my amusement at Agil's half hearted grumbles. "So what now?" I looked over at the others, Siegfried regaling a tale of some kind to a rapt Nezha.

"Now, we all make our way back down this place and go our separate ways, hoping that none of our guild mates see us together." Shivata waved over his companion, the other Dragon Knight garbed in heavy plate that was a contender for Kinboshi's equipment in regards to which was the more durable of the two. "Asasaki, would it trouble you much to forge the way down for us like you did on the fourth? Most of our resources have been depleted. We'd be more than happy to compensate you with cor."

I pulled open my stat page, distributing the skill points I had acquired into Dexterity and Vitality as well as acquiring the «Sprint» skill. "I don't have the critical path though. Aside from a few dead end floors, I ended up cheating my way up here with Acrobatics." I ignored Agil's bark of laughter, the man handing me a handful of potions and a physical copy of his map.

"And why does that not surprise me?" The former reporter swung his axe over his head, reaching behind his back with his other hand to secure it. "Does an eight minute head start sound good to you? The ALS folk can go ahead first. We've all agreed that if anybody asks us what we were doing that we wanted to get some extra cash in before we headed down to the New Year's Party."

"Party?" I blinked owlishly, transcribing the relevant markers onto my map interface.

"The ALS and DKB are hosting another party in Karluin. This time for the New Year." Shivata pulled his helmet back on. "It's another attempt to boost morale, that despite us being trapped in here we can still let loose."

"How about you figure out a way to get some boat races going on down in Rovia some day?" I suggested, discarding the map once I got everything useful. "Might be a little difficult figuring out how to host it as well as the goal points, but it might be some fun. Maybe make it a relay instead of a race, considering how long the river is."

"Hey, that's not a half bad idea, Asasaki!" Agil clapped me on the back, his heavy hand sending me forward a few steps. "Though you're right on that whole relay thing. We might be better off waiting until we find an island floor or something. The fourth floor is way too small for something like that."

"We'll bring it up with our leaders when we get a chance. I'm sure they'll enjoy being able to show each other up again." Okotan heft his maul, resting the shaft on his shoulder. "Here's the payment from our side." I choked at the amount, turning the gut reaction into three practiced coughs to hide my surprise.

"Thanks. I'll get started on it." As I walked towards the entrance, waving at the rest of Agil's World Market, I considered the merits of going through Argo to purchase materials for my various upgrades. That thought was passed in favor of looking through the stalls in the Gate Cities; I still had to find a personal smith after all. Isuke was useful for my weapons, but my go to for repairs was still an NPC in Black Iron City.

I waited until the doors to the boss room shut behind me, taking a moment to familiarize myself with the markers before setting off with Sprint. Like Acrobatics, the skill created a tingling sensation in my legs, something very noticeable yet so easy to ignore. In bursts of three seconds I charged through the pathways, «Armor Splitter» cutting through any undead I came across.

After perhaps forty minutes of almost continuous action, in which time Sprint had leveled up a handful of times, I found myself at the courtyard leading into the labyrinth. The vines that one could climb to access the shortcut for the maze were still there on the right, mirrored by a dummy entrance on the left hand side.

I pulled down the face mask of my outfit, glad that sweat wasn't something we had to worry about in this world. "Have I mentioned how nice it is to breath fresh air?" Quickly unequipped my armor and swapping to my clothing from Urbus, I stood there silently for a short time, enjoying the sound of the gentle wind blowing through the area.

 _Kirito doesn't fight like me. He's not a soldier. He's still a kid, and he looked so happy fighting that thing._

I reached out and tapped the relevant buttons, the sudden weight of my armor staggering me for a brief moment before my body refamiliarized itself." I frowned, entering a runner's stance. "I'm still not teaching Ducker how to fight like me. Haru gets a pass though, since he's old enough." At the retort of an imaginary pistol, I charged at the wall, the tingling sensation changing minutely when my momentum changed from horizontal to vertical.

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"How'd your day go?"

I smiled at Hibiki, offering a quick thanks when he placed the plated fish and beans before me. "Pretty interesting. I honestly didn't expect it to be as exciting as it was." I brought a closed hand to my lips and coughed, fighting down the laughter that threatened to escape when I recalled my statement to Harry earlier today.

"Oh? Do tell."

I explained to Asuka how everything had gone, tugging on my acting ability to deliver the story in a way that was exciting but not too gruesome. "I'm honestly really surprised that all of my leaping off buildings turned out for the better though. I mean, incidentally leveling up my skills while having fun is one thing, but that's the second time in a week that it's been put to actual use." I placed my spoon down on the plate, respectfully keeping my elbows off the table as I stared at the ceiling.

"The life of a swordsman certainly seems fraught with peril," she commented, daintily eating a piece of the local fish. "By the way, have you talked to Klein or the others?"

"No, not yet." I blinked, a thought suddenly occcuring to me. "Do you have a way of talking to them now?"

"You didn't know?" The leader of the merchant's guild stared at me, an amused smile on her face. "Apparently one of the modifications you can choose for your «Contract» skill is to allow communication with your signators. It seems that Choryu decided to take that bonus instead of the experience enhancement that most of your companions took or your own slot increase."

I blinked, suddenly blank mind echoing the . "When did this happen?"

"Right after he and Klein returned from the plains west of here." She giggled. "Don't you pay attention to this sort of thing?" Asuka tapped her head, an amused smile adorning her face. "You know how I have you fetch things for me? Takeshi has Dale go through various sword stances to try and improve his combat skills, Hibiki has Dynamm spar with him pretty much every day, and Asahi has Choryu share whatever sort of information he comes across related to each region." The same finger moved up to her cheek, the woman humming in thought. "You know, your companions keep saying they feel like you drew the short stick. What do you think?"

"I think their hearts are in the right place, if fairly misguided." I continued digging into my meal, wondering how much of the taste was natural and how much of it was a direct result of the chef's abilities. "It's not that I hate working with you or anything, it's just that I find it kind of odd how I'm pretty much playing messenger while everybody else gets to level their skills up by fighting with alongside their companion or just doing the things they normally do."

Her voice suddenly changed. Where before she seemed happy and joking, now I felt like I was on the other side of a business deal. "Are you saying you'd like for me to join you on the battlefields sometime?"

I shook my head, deciding to ignore her ambiguous tone. "I won't force you to do anything you don't want to, Asuka. While I'd love to having something combat related assigned to me, I think travelling the different regions for you is probably one of the best things I could be doing." I pushed a small collection of beans around my plate, apologizing when Hibiki chastised me.

The woman took a few moments before responding, her tea cup held softly in her hands. "Hibiki, I'm sorry to interrupt your work, but would you mind stepping out for a bit? There's something personal I've been meaning to talk to Asasaki for a while." The man nodded, silently leaving a small stack of dishes in the sink for later.

"I've been reviewing the Contract that I was given after we entered the pact," she started. "Aside from the relatively easy source of Experience that it allows you Swordsmen, the deal is more beneficial to us natives than it is for your kind." She took a sip, the cup in her hands gaining a protective feel to it when juxtaposed to her posture. "But there was something I couldn't help but notice when I reviewed the signatures. All of us signed with our full names, even the elven soldier Iseyer."

"But when I looked at what our partners had written, I realized that the names used were only the handles they went by and not their actual names like we had done. By this point you know of us; who we are, what we do, and what we plan to do, but we're at a disadvantage. All of us." The redhead set her cup down, her hands folded demurely in her lap. "So, Miss Asasaki. Who are you? Where did you come from? And what are you planning?"

I evenly met her gaze, disgruntled panic slowly rising when I noticed her voice had become slightly NPC-like at the end. "It sounds like you're asking me for my personal details, information regarding the other world."

"And what you hope to achieve here." Her voice turned back to normal, her previously composed features gaining a sorrowed look. "A partnership is built on trust, Miss Asasaki, and while I know I can trust in you to keep my interests in mind, I'm not entirely certain I can trust somebody who hides behind a mask."

I let out a single breath of amusement, making the connection to Haru's own observation of me not too long ago. "I guess we'll start from the top then. My name is Dawn Lakewood. I'm twenty seven years old, and I come from a place called America."

* * *

 _With only seven days remaining in November, the_ _ **next chapter won't be released until December 8th**_ _or so. While it's not exactly a full story and is instead more an Anthology of heavily connected events (Spaghetti and Meatballs as opposed to pure Meatballs of easily consumable, isolated event) I still want to try and hit the 50k goal of NaNoWriMo which means seven days to get down 20k of pure, unedited, regurgitated prose. So until then, see you everybody, and thank you for continuing to read this far!_


	22. Reconnect

_I'm not dead! Just. Really, really distracted by life._

 _So I ended up failing NaNo. Both the 50k mark and my own personal 40k. I suppose that's okay though. What I learned from it was that I was able to consistently do 2k a day and then spend three or four days editing. In a few cases, I was actually able to do 3k+, but that was mostly dialogue._

 _Upload dates are kind of in the air right now. I'll try and stick to the once per week schedule, but there may come a time when I'll have to fully commit to every other week if not longer. We'll see how things go._

 _Happy Holidays!~_

* * *

Thunder roared across the cloud splattered sky, jolting me from my slumber. The sixth floor, termed «Dragon Spire Valley» by the locals, was simultaneously a splendorous and unforgiving region of four distinct biomes. According to the head of the «Breezy Scavenger's Base», the weather in the region was generally windy, thundering, and experienced the occasional downpour of rain. Fully clear skies were an oddity, but when the sun did decide to show up it was the best time to operate, despite the winged creatures flying around.

For the fifth time in half as many minutes, I pulled open my map interface and cross referenced the the instructions Kirito had sent me. The inseparable teens had gotten an early head start on the floor's local quests yesterday. After I explained how the rest of my guild was currently exploring the west part of the fourth floor on foot, the teens ended up inviting me to assist them in exploring the newest (and very much lonely) front lines. "Where are those two?" I checked my map once more, various pointed comments concerning NEET's and obsessed gamers mumbled through my lips. After several minutes of cursed silence an apologetic notification popped up, two more messages appearing in short order.

#We still don't want anybody else to know that the fifth floor's been unlocked, not for a couple more days.#

#There's a people who have me on their friends list and if I wasn't set to invisible then they could easily figure out that I was up here.#

With a sigh, I shot back a message regarding my location outside the starting city. Another streak of lightning tore across the sky, its crack following a few second later. "What the hell kind of floor is this anyway?" I groused. "I swear every single one of the rock formations here are are as high as the other floors are." Pushing off the ledge, I caught myself on the cliff face and began scaling my way down, the action granting my Acrobatics skill the last bit of experience needed to push it over to level 160.

As I crossed the rope bridge, my mind once again questioned whether or not it was a conscious decision to base the entrance to the sixth floor's teleport city off the secret entry to the another fictional kingdom said to have been located in a realm separate from Earth. Certainly, the broad doors that were slightly ajar resembled the hideout in question, but considering that the material seemed to have been the same black metal from the first floor as well as the doors leading to each successive floor as opposed to pure stone, I supposed it was distinct enough to evade copyright infringement. "If we have to fight a thunder based monster here though, all bets are off."

"Do you normally talk to yourself, Asasaki?"

"Only sometimes," I admitted, needing a moment to realize the male voice had been verbalized and not procured from my own head. "So where have you two been?" I looked behind us and gave Kirito's waiting partner an unrequited wave.

"Out and about." Kirito glanced through the archway, his body sagging in relief at the lack of players. "You're stocked up on potions and other consumables, right?" At my affirming nod, the noiret led me across the bridge. "Have you done the elf quests yet?"

"Not really." I offered a small smile at the redhead, Asuna returning a nervous one of her own. As we walked, she subtly inched away until the black haired male was fully between us.

"That's what we're doing right now, alongside anything on the way like kill quests or item retrievals." The two teens led the way alongside the edge of the cliff. Several times Kirito would scamper up a small wall and offer an hand for Asuna. He'd done the same for me the first time, only to give a soft 'oh' when I refused by running up it on my own.

"So does that mean there are elves in the area?" When we entered the mouth of a cave I pulled out a torch, manually lighting it before holding the unprotected flame up.

"We've only seen a few Dark Elves wandering around in a camp down one of the other paths, but apparently the Forest Elves haven't been seen in awhile." Kirito motioned for the light source, guiding the way across the gaps once I handed it over.

I filed that bit of information away, wondering if there was any connection to fight back on the third floor. "Are there Spirit Trees around here?" I took two steps back before running alongside the wall, neatly flipping over his head when I neared the end.

Unfazed, "If there are, we haven't asked." Kirito raised a hand and beckoned Asuna over, the girl letting out a irritated cry direct at me before hopping over the flat topped spires. The instance she joined us, the two set off, comfortably walking side by side.

 _I wonder what sort of things they've gone through._

In the time since Asuna had latched onto Kirito as a lifeline and an instructor, the two seemed to have developed a very close and trusting relationship, the one handed sword user assisting Asuna in most travel aspects while the girl effortlessly took advantage of any openings Kirito created on the monsters we came across. In the rare instance that there was more than one monster, I was left taking care of them on my own, the two teens watching me with an unreadable gaze once they took care of theirs.

"Where are we going, anyway?" I questioned.

"The path to the others settlements here can only be access along this path. If you take any of the other routes you just end up at one of the repeatable dungeons, though one of them takes you along the canyon floor leads right out to the Water region." Kirito started climbing up the rungs. It didn't truly hit me why he went first until I noticed that Asuna was wearing a skirt as opposed to the more practical decision of pants.

"Sounds like this place is nothing more than a huge hassle in terms of travel." I ignored the rope and wood ladder nailed to the wall, instead running up the rock face beside us. Upon reaching slightly above the next level I kicked off and landed in a roll, left hand instinctively falling to my sheathed blade.

"I thought Kirito was bad with how much extra he does once I decide to call it quits for the day, but I think you just surpassed him in terms of obsession with training."

I blinked at Asuna's remark, not sure whether the condescending tone was supposed to be joking or insulting. "I only recently got told about some of the things I could achieve once I reach a higher level, so I want to try and get as much practice in before I do the real thing."

"Why wouldn't you just wait until you can unlock the actual things though?" As we exited the cavern, Kirito dismissed the torch into his inventory. At the next ledge, he jogged over and braced himself against it, hands folded in front of him for the running Asuna to use as a launch pad.

"If I can learn how to do the individual components, when I actually get to doing the real thing it'll be much easier." I waited for the teen to scale the ledge before clambering after him. "Sort of like if somebody taught you each portion of a sword skill before you had access to it. Once you can finally use it, you're much better off than somebody else who only unlocked it because you're familiar with the motions."

Asuna turned towards me, a cheery grin on her face. "Like math, then. You can get taught how to insert formulas into a calculator but if you don't know how to actually do it on your own then when you don't have access to the technology you're completely stuck or you can't check your work."

"Sorry about her." Kirito gave her a playful look of admonishment, the girl returning it with a friendly leer. "Even though we've been here for two months she still keeps trying to equate everything to studies."

"Sorry about him," she immediately retorted. "Even though we've been here for two months he keeps trying to pretend that there isn't another world we came from and that we should be doing our best to keep real world habits to make our return easier." Towards the end her voice gained a singing tone, my mind placing the previously snarky undercurrent as standard behavior, much in the same way as Kunimitzz' normal expressions.

I chuckled. "It's good to see that you two are so close. It's important to have that sort of connection with your allies." I folded my hands behind my back, focusing on the sunny looks they gave each other.

At the mouth of yet another cavern Kirito stopped, waiting for us to join him before pointing at a swarm of floating islands, vines and roots creeping down towards the earth. "That's our first goal. We need to take care of some stuff in the area before we can get up there, but the quest item we get for it is usable on nearly every floor, even if it's hard to find the right spot to use it and the durable basically gets halved."

"What's the item and should I be concerned like the last 'quest item' you said we had to get?" I blinked at Asuna's frank delivery.

"It's a glider." After a moment of thought, "And I don't think so, so long as you wear pants and not a skirt. That or make sure that you're behind me."

"Time out!" I slipped between the two and brought my hands into a T, blocking the path. "Did I hear that right? That we're going to be using a glider?"

"Err, yeah. Those are _floating_ islands, after all." Kirito jabbed his thumb at the objects in question, stepping around me once I relented. "Really, Asasaki. I know you're older than us, but are you really that old to forget things explained ten seconds ago?"

I consciously ignored Asuna's snort, taking her place by Kirito's side as we walked. "I'm going to answer yes to that, if only because I want to hear your response to it." My lip twitched when he refused to answer, the rapier user instead breaking down farther and wrapping her arms tightly around herself in a commendable attempt to contain her amusement. "Do we at least get a tutorial on how to use this thing? Hopefully so we don't end up crashing into the side of a cliff?" The laughter quickly ceased.

"It's pretty intuitive. It's all about how far you lean in certain directions as well as some footwork. There's a few updrafts that you need to learn how to read if you want to travel on your own, but since you'll be with me we won't need to worry about it." Kirito pulled open his interface, pressing a few buttons before dismissing it. "There's a bridge we're going to have to run across. Don't worry about its appearance, it's sturdy, but back in the beta there was a chance that a dragon would fly across the bridge and blow you over the edge."

"I'm sorry, did you just say a dragon?" Asuna and I asked in tandem.

"Well, maybe not a dragon per say," his hands grasped each other behind his back, spine straightening, "but definitely a flying reptile that can breath fire." He began chuckling nervously, taking long and measured steps towards the bridge. "But yeah, we should definitely start running. The coast might look clear, but that thing could swoop by at any moment."

"Fine, lead the way. But the next time we stop you better tell me everything about this area! I don't want to have a repeat incident like those rat thieves again!"

"They're «Sly Shrewman», Asuna. Now come on and hurry up!" The three of us dashed across the rickety, wooden bridge every board creaking under our steps. I was certain that if it wasn't for how fast we were running, Asuna would have been furiously looking both ways in anticipation.

Eventually Kirito brought us towards a village that felt like it was on the ground floor of the region. "Welcome to Ellana." He turned around and spread his arms towards the simple wood walls, directing his smile first towards Asuna and then towards me upon remembrance. "It's the local safe zone and hub for this area, not including the Scavenger's Base."

"It looks so cute! I feel like I stepped into a western reenactment festival!" Asuna brought her hands together and led us through the gates, Kirito happily playing the role of tour guide for the red head. We made a quick round of the settlement, Kirito pointing out a few buildings that would be of import to us while we were in the area. "Miss Asasaki, what level is your equipment?"

I pulled open my interface, relaying the basic information. "Is that not good enough?" I questioned when they gave each other looks.

"It's fine for now. Actually, I'm surprised you're as maneuverable as you are in all that armor. Kirito and I only wear armor on our torsos because we need to be so quick, but I guess if you're focusing in Dexterity as much as you seem to be you can get away it easier than we can." Asuna leaned towards me, staring studiously.

"Don't forget that she has a high level in Acrobatics. You saw what she did during that Raid." Kirito pressed a finger to Asuna's cheek, the girl batting his hand away after a moment.

"That's true. So then, Mr. Beta Tester, now that we got some sight seeing out of the way, what's first on the list?"

"First we need to go talk to the village chief. He'll let us know about some of the quests in the area. At the end of that we need to fight off one of the lesser bipedal reptiles around here, report it, and then he'll let send us off to go inform one of the other villages about the incident." Kirito eyes briefly focused on something nonexistent before he snapped his fingers. "Provided nothing's changed, we should get the glider by then. It needs to be upgraded before we can use it fully, but it'll make travel a lot easier in this region."

"Asuka, why can't you give me a kill quest for once?" I joked.

"I'm sorry?" Asuna turned to look at me in surprise.

"Personal joke, and a different person." I waved a hand in dismissal. "Don't know how I never made the connection until now. Ignore me."

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I swung around the outstretched blade of «Florenti, Tarragon Wind Sentinel», yanking the scaled limb up and bringing my sword arm across his neck. "Oi, stop gawking and hit him already!" A series of lights broke out, one after the other. When the green tinted color of Asuna's «Quadruple Pain» faded, I spun the stunned humanoid around and unleashed a series of unassisted attacks on the beast, kicking him away into Kirito's waiting form. "Are all these fights as one sided?" I yelled. When the final strike of Kirito's three hit Blade and Body combo sent our target towards me, I crouched low and struck, manipulating the Aggression numbers with as many strikes as possible before Asuna followed up.

"One sided, sure, but never this bad!" The rapier user's blade splashed out from where I started, the final strike in her revolving chain of stabs being the stronger thrusting strike called «Oblique». Without missing a beat, Kirito charged in and fired off a sword skill, his weapon tracing a shining light blue square.

The instant Florenti took in a deep breath we all leaped back. With a reverberating roar, a visible gale of his tribe's namesake tore around him, the sheer force causing our clothes to ripple in the wind. A half second before the area of effect attack ended, Kirito called for us to head back in, leaning to the right while I went left. The three of us stabbed in with our respective dash attacks, successively firing off a multi-hit combo while the previous recovered from the post-motion. Soon enough the reptoid fell, collapsing to the ground dramatically before shattering into shards of data.

I stopped myself mid flick, my sword ending at my armed side instead of returning to the opposite side of my body like it usually did. Ahead of me, Kirito and Asuna performed their own post battle flourishes meet feet away from where they dealt the final blows, their weapons sliding neatly into their sheaths at their back and side respectively. Without finishing the motion I slid my sword into its scabbard, dismissing the after action pop up without bothering to check its contents. "I've heard from Argo that the usage of AoE moves from enemies weren't that common back in the beta, but I wanna hear it from you, Kii."

The teen turned towards me, Asuna fiddling around with her interface as she walked beside him. "There were wide hitting attacks, but not actual area of effect abilities like what we've been seeing."

"It's actually kind of scary going up against stuff like that. The first time that happened during a quest fight both of us got knocked back hard. Lucky Kirito's good at this sort of thing and we got the timing down once he figured out the pattern." The girl patted Kirito on the back. "For once, being a total shut in actually resulted in something worthwhile!" She beamed, ignoring his half hearted grumbles.

"It's only the first round or two of learning the attack patterns that's difficult, after that it becomes easier to figure out. Since it's mostly just the two of us we don't have to worry about accidentally causing too much damage and activating one of the defensive variants like we've been hearing about on the lower floors." Kirito cupped his left hand, presumably holding his map to help navigate through the tunnels sparsed by beams of sunlight.

"That's one of the biggest pains, isn't it?" I folded my hands behind my back, drifting slightly away from the duo. "Need to kill things fast enough they don't cause any problems, but you can't damage them too quickly or else you get knocked back by whatever." I shook my head. "Kayaba's an ass."

"Language," Asuna quickly admonished.

"Sorry about her. She got raised all 'prim and proper'." He laughed at her biting retort, the insult fueled with a level of sarcasm that could only be found among friends or vengeful enemies. "How are things with Fūrinkazan?" He questioned. "I know you said they're on the other side of the mountain range over on the fourth floor, but from what Klein's been messaging me this is the first time your group's been separated for longer than day or two."

"Klein messages you?" I blinked rapidly, surprised by the revelation. Except for that first month or so when we were still practicing various martial techniques, my fellow curved sword user had stopped talking about Kirito.

"Practically every other night, sometimes every if something 'interesting' happened." Kirito let out a dramatic sigh of suffering. It wasn't fully practiced though and was just a smidge too much. Instead of bringing about amusement it only created a small amount of annoyance..

"And here I was thinking you were cheating on me with some non-combatant. But I suppose the leader of a guild is fine, even though I'm incredibly insulted." Asuna's comment brought about twin snorts, one of them them developing into a coughing fit.

"You two figure out your little spat. I'll take care of this." I Sprinted forward, unleashing a manual combo on the «Fertile Salamander», the chain ending with a series of system assisted punches and swings. "But things are good, if you're implying something happened," I commented as I rose from my ending stab. "While I was helping you guys out on the Fifth, the others decided to continue on through the mountains west of Rovia. It was a huge hassle for them to make it to where they are now, so they figured it'd be easier if I just did stuff on my own for a time while they continued working down the peninsula.

"So it's more a convenience thing than an argumentative one." I nodded, too much uncertainty lingering in my mind to vocalize a response. After a moment Kirito frowned, questioning how I managed to chain skills together and why I used so many normal attacks.

"I'm not a huge fan of the post motions, even if they're barely more than a second long. As for the combos," I cracked a grin, "if you can figure out the positioning leading up into the next strike you can swap between Sword Skills and Martial Arts. Isn't that what you did when you did that three hit chain against Florenti? It was a diagonal slash, a cross, and a shoulder check wasn't it?"

"Er, no. Not at all." Kirito looked at me blankly. "It was only a single skill called «Heavenly Rush». But chaining skills together?" The teen cupped his chin, staring down in thought.

"There's got to be some drawbacks to it," Asuna mused, taking the position of Lead now that Kirito had become lost in thought.

"The post motions for each skill you use stacks up, and the moment you fail or miss one you automatically get pushed into it. I mostly use it as finishers or when I have somebody who can take care of Aggro." I raised my hands above my head, basking in the warmth of the now clear skies over Ellana. "So, gliders?"

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I stared at the odd leaf and leather contraption, eying the black haired swordsman with concern. "Are you sure this will support us?" I lifted it above my head, shaking my head at its stability.

"It will. And besides, the area here is meant for training. We can't actually properly fly out until we get through the tunnel at the end of this canyon." He frowned and tilted his head. "When I say that, I mean that we can't actually reach any of the islands. We can skip some of the walking paths, but we'd still have to work our way back on foot."

"Um, Kirito, you mean we _walk_ through a tunnel, right? Not fly through a tunnel?" Asuna stared at him, eyes wide.

"Er, yeah." The teen smiled apologetically. "You two remember the guide the village elder gave us, right?" At our nods, "So long as you don't try to overcorrect too much, you'll be fine."

I frowned and shook my head once more, doing my best to destroy the doubts of the contraption actually working. "The weird parts are still a game, after all." I ignored the questioning sounds the two gave me and started running, diving off the cliff without hesitation.

Having never gone skydiving before, the glider felt surprisingly fast. In terms of safety, the only thing I was lacking was a pair of goggles to deal with the wind. Slowly, I began testing the controls. While simply adjusting my weight would move the glider in the general direction, fine control came from working my feet and the small wooden slats they were attached to. If I moved a foot into a position comparable to standing, the glider would move in the relevant direction. When both feet were lowered, the glider would slow down until it eventually stalled. All in all, I was grateful we had a contained area to practice in.

"Asasaki, dive into that vortex of leaves! That's how you get higher!" Kirito pointed at a swirl of leaves and other debris hovering near a hole in the side of the canyon, his glider pulling slightly to the right before he corrected it.

On a whim, I pulled up several feet. Only when I started to stall did I pull back down down and dive bomb into the presumable thermal. A rush of air enveloped my ears. Suddenly I found myself far above the lip of the canyon, a blessed silence enveloping me. All around, an endless sea of earthen hues spread before me. I wasn't quite high enough to fully see the rest of the floor, but the lush canyons were more than enough to sate my wanderlust.

"That's the island we need to get to!" Kirito braced himself on the handrail and pointed at the largest of the islands, the levitating collection of nature looking as if it rivaled the Labyrinths in how wide it was. "Let's try to get there by the afternoon, any later than that and we won't be able to take on the Water region before sunrise!"

I jerked, cautiously regaining control as I directed myself to complete the wedge on Kirito's left. "Did you just say sunrise?!" I questioned. A glance to my clock revealed that it wasn't even midday. The few hours of sleep I had gotten were nice, but I didn't look forward to potentially pulling an all nighter. _At least I still have some of those petal fragments._

"Once the other players start arriving we're going to head back to the 5th floor to complete the Elven Questline there." Asuna looked away from us and shivered. "Kirito, can we get down now!? It's too cold up here!"

"Next time bring some pants instead of a skirt and long socks!" Despite the jest, Kirito slowly brought us back down, guiding us back into the canyon. As we neared the far end, he pulled back so we could hear. "Just turn on the brakes and pull your legs out! Try to balance yourself so you still have some momentum but not fully stopped, you'll want to take a running stop!"

"I'll go first!" I gave the redhead behind me a thumbs up before performing the same near stall as before, tightly gripping the wooden hand holds as my feet skittered to a standstill. A moment later, Asuna's panicked yelps flew past me as she skidded along the ground, her glider comically tilting to the side and hiding her body from view.

Before I could finish putting away the contraption into its designated tab, Kirito landed gracefully beside her, his set of leather and wood wings disappearing in a flurry of digital motes. "You okay there, Asuna?"

The girl mumbled something out, accepting his hand and crawling out from the pseudo wreckage. "Do these things have durability?" She asked, dusting imaginary dirt off herself.

"I'm actually kind of disappointed you didn't check that out for yourself." Kirito crossed his arms and gave her a petulant look, his expression unchanging even in the face of her annoyance.

"Fine, fine. Yes, there's a durability for these things, and _yes_ mine is down a little. Now how do I repair it?"

"You can only repair it at the villages here," he answered dutifully. "Outside of this region you need to search a little harder to find the right people, but they're capable of upgrading the gliders for better flight times and maneuverability once you get the relevant items. You saw that large mountain in the north, right? Over in the desert region?"

"Why do I have the feeling I'm not going to like what you say next?" I grimaced, thoughts of what kind of diversions the creators would have set up for us entering my mind.

Kirito led the way into the cavern, quietly gesturing at the small glowing crystals embedded in the walls when I started moving a torch around. "It's nothing too bad. Ordinarily you'd have to cross the desert on foot if you wanted to reach the Labyrinth here, but with a fully upgraded glider you can get over there if you start in the Wind region or the Fire region."

"So it's a matter or whether or not you value time spent doing quests for an easier time or just making the trek normally." I sprinted in and kicked a «Tarragon Wind Scout» away, Kirito quickling setting upon it with another one of this third level sword skills before Asuna finished it off. The two teens shared a quick smile and fist bump before moving on, Asuna knowingly prattling on about something she remembered seeing in Karluin to fill the silence.

I tuned their conversation out, taking the time to check through my messages. Despite its boxed in design, the tunnel was still classified as a field. Klein and the others were working their way down the western part of the fourth floor and had taken refuge at a small village built by a lake. With it being a safe zone, they had decided to take advantage of the vacation spot. In his words, 'It's a good thing you aren't here. A single woman at the beach alongside eleven guys? I'd feel extremely awkward in your position.'

"Asasaki, take point. Asuna, stay with me."

I snapped out of my thoughts, blinking at the smoke trails visible through the exit. "You want me to go on my own or stay close?" I asked, my voice instinctively hardening in grim anticipation.

"Stay close for now. We don't know what's going on and I'd rather not risk anything."

Advice in mind, I broke ahead and dropped to the ground. It was hard to get a clean image through the haze rising from the buildings, but from my vantage point on the cliff all I could see were moderately armored figures wandering around, hacking and kicking at obscured things. In the center of the settlement, the survivors were huddled together fearfully. Ringing them in a predatory manner, bipedal figures similar to how Florenti appeared jeered raucously.

"This is a quest," a voice still going through puberty muttered beside me.

I scooted back and reached forward, not wanting to risk the monsters below seeing anything. Sure enough, listed at the top of the quest log was a line that read 'Reptilian Repel: Save the villagers from their attackers'. "We go as one?"

"No. I want you to go in ahead and kite what you can. Try not to get caught out by more than three of them. You might have armor, but you're still a good three levels lower than us." Kirito sat up, pulled open his map and marked a few places before sharing the desired combat zones with me.

With a smirk and a two finger salute, I jumped to my feet and charged off the ledge, a full body tingle overcoming me as I fell through the air. _Find a stable house. Take advantage from the skies and lure._ Plan established, I pushed the tingle through my legs, launching myself onto a rooftop made from mud tiles. _There's barely any screaming or crying._ A soft smile rueful smile spread across my face. "At least that makes this easier."

I drew «Tormenting Reaver», leaping across the road and onto another house before inverting into a backflip and driving my blade into the unprotected neck of one of the reptilian bipeds, a Tarragon Raider. "Hey, do you guys breath fire?" I asked, kicking the monster away once I pulled my sword out. "If not, you're going to have a bad time."

Its two companions charged towards me, each of them hobbling forward from foot to foot in a manner surprisingly similar to how a lizard walked. With a screech, the first of the two raised its straight sword to its head, the metal glowing a familiar blue. In a flash it fell down, cutting nothing but air. Beside it, the other Tarragon foot soldier stabbed out, the strike deflected upwards by a simple block.

With a grunt of exertion, I surged into the first monster's range, holding its arm out to the side while I stabbed up through its unprotected pit. Its health bar flashed into existence, first dipping by two percent and then four on the drawback. My left leg slid out in a lunge, a sense of calm overtaking me.

 _They're monsters, pure and simple._

I sprung back up and slammed the pommel of my sword into the beast's chin, quickly taking a step back and bringing the edge down along its armored front. A front kick turned into a side kick aimed at the one with a buckler, both of them sent flying back several feet. I took a moment to glance to my right before dashing out of the alleyway, one last jump kick that missed buying me a moment. "Three behind me! One shield!" I whirled around and deflected another strike, crouching down and springing up in a system assisted skyward strike to the forehead.

"Basic sword skills, pack tactics, vulnerable necks and strong tells!" I twisted my sword and caught the raider's blade in the curve of my own, holding it in place while Kirito let loose a glowing tri-strike. The instant his strike ended I curved my blade to the side, pinning the reptoid's sword in place and driving my knee into its unprotected gut a few times.

After my third strike, Kirito shot back into the alley and took on the two beasts within, Asuna taking his place with a few revolving strikes of Linear that ended with her usual Oblique. "We have this covered, go clear the others!"

I released my hold on the biped weapon and gave a quick slash before Sprinting off, drawing the attention of Tarragon forces in groups of three and four. Every so often I would arrive just in time to interrupt a beast's attack on an NPC with a quick, stabbing Reaver followed by either «Embracer» or «Crescent Moon», the fearful villagers managing to buy me enough time with their tantalizing vulnerability that I could safely recover from the Post Motion and continue my onslaught. In some thirty minutes, we had cleared out the majority of the creatures in the outer ring of the settlement, the two teens surprisingly able to keep up with the harsh pace I had been setting.

As we approached the village square, I found myself letting out an outraged cry. I blinked in, my blade fully burying into the monster. In an instant my fist coiled out several times in a row, the impacts drowning out the screams of the rapidly retreating child before I twirled around fired off a «Waning Moon», my now regripped sword yanked out by the side kick. "Take care of the rest, I'll keep Big Bad busy!" Kirito and Asuna shot past me, their cries fading away into the noise of the surrounding fire and crumbling buildings.

«Kel'varar, Wind Tarragon Raider» clicked angrily at me, waving its sword and buckler aggressively. After a brief moment, the two of us met, my sword latching onto the inner edge of its shield and tossing it to the side. I unhooked my blade and quickly spun into his reach, slamming my hilt into his torso a few times before knocking him back.

Kel'varar growled and charged back in, his glowing thrust nearly stabbing me through the stomach. I sneered and snapped my sword out, an angry red line etched across his face. "And that's just the start!" I retorted, skipping back with the momentum of the shield bash. Over and over we traded blows, our strikes nothing more than glancing blows that shaved our bars away percent by percent.

A few minutes later I snatched the reptile's extended arm, holding blade and limb in place while Kirito and Asuna flew in with their sword skills. When the beast finally passed, I jerked the weapon out of my chest and hissed, angrily exchanging the weapon with a potion from my inventory. "Fuck these monsters and fuck the designers that made them constantly aim for the torso!" I tossed the empty bottle into the hovering panel, dismissing it with a harsh swipe before gingerly rubbing the non-existent wound.

After a moment I glanced to the side, suddenly recalling that I wasn't with Haru or the Tolbanians. "Sorry about the language." I looked away from the two, a wave of guilt washing over me at Asuna's pale face. "It just ticks me off every single time that happens."

"D-does it hurt when it gets stuck in you?" Asuna asked tentatively.

"What, the sword?" I clicked my tongue, watching the fires slowly subside into smoking embers. "It's like somebody pressed a railroad spike against your body for a brief second, and then once it goes through it's a void of nothingness that feels more wrong than anything."

"Neither of us have really had to deal with being hit like that." Kirito tried to smile, but ended up looking more like he was eating particularly distasteful dish. "I mean it's one thing to get hit, but to have a weapon fully stuck in you?"

I snorted. "No reason in hell being stabbed or slashed at should be any different, reality or otherwise. Once you get it in your head that there's a difference, that's when you start making mistakes and paying for getting complacent." I jerked my head towards the slowly recovering villagers. "Now c'mon, Kii. I don't mind taking over and doing the talking if I need too, but you're the experienced one here. I'm sure there's stuff we'll miss if you don't take care of this for us."

After a moment Kirito nodded, the cold dread on his face changing to something slightly resembling composure. "Is everybody alright?"

One of the NPC's fussed over a child one last time before striding over to us, bearing a false confidence that had to have been purely for show. "Much better, now that you folk are here. Did Isa send you?"

I glanced over at the teen, wondering if I should be berating myself for not recognizing the name.

"Elder Jacque, actually. He was worried about the lack of correspondence from the other villages and sent us in his stead." Kirito looked around slowly, stopping to look at the smouldering ruins surrounding the plaza. "We actually haven't been outside the Scavenger's Base much," a well crafted lie if I ever heard one. "Is this supposed to be a normal occurrence?"

"Nay. We were supposed to have had a treaty with the Tarragon folk, but the past few days they've been harassing our own Scavengers away from any of the fallen beasts." The woman's countenance slipped, a short but heavy sigh summoning heavy weights onto her shoulders. "We thought we had peaceful relations with those dragons. I don't know what could have caused this." She put on a sad smile, her gaze passing over the three of us. "My name is Lei. I wish I could give you lot a better welcome, but as you can see." She gestured hopelessly. "For what it's worth, we of the Whispering tribe are more than happy to accommodate you in whatever way we can."

"We can always stop by later, maybe for a meal or a place to rest," Asuna interjected. "For now, why don't we do what we can to help you out? Supplies, deliver a message, anything like that?"

Lei nodded to herself and looked at the slowly recovering survivors, most of whom seemed to have been of teen years or younger. "Supplies and a message would do nicely, I think. We'll need wood to repair everything, some reeds for thatching, and then a message over to Elder Jacque about what's happened. The Echoing tribe is far enough from the Tarragon lands that they likely won't see any of what's to come, but depending on how things fare we may need to send the survivors their way."

"Forgive me for asking, but how do you return back from here? We came down the ravine on some gliders we were given, but it didn't seem like there was a way back." I shifted my stance, hip cocking to the left. In the corner of my eye I saw Kirito move as if he was about to start talking, but ended up thinking better of it.

"There's a passage to the north west that loops back towards the Scavenger's Base. It's a long path, perhaps the better part of a day, but it's sheltered from the sentient Tarragon here and so long as we send enough combat able people with anybody that goes through we've never had any problems."

I subtly opened up my quest log again, slowly bringing the tip of my tongue along the bottoms of my teeth at the newest blocks of information that showed up. "You said combat able. Does that mean that are aggressive monsters along the way?"

Lei nodded solemnly. "They aren't much of a threat, but sometimes they gather in large quantities so it's better for us to send a group that's larger than needed as a precaution." A shrug. "Those that volunteer for the task usually treat it like a day off more than anything, so we're never hurting for members." The woman very purposely stopped herself from taking another look around at her ruined home. "Usually."

"Where can we find some wood? I noticed on the way over here that most of the land is nothing more than grass and shrubs." Kirito was staring out at the slowly reclouding sky, the words leaving his mouth feeling more like rote recitation than engaged conversation.

"Ordinarily we'd have to set for help from the other villages, but since you said you have gliders," Lei trailed off, a glimmer of hope in her smirk that I was relieved to see. "Take that same path up in the north. You'll be wanting to head east instead of west. It loops up to a cliff that you can jump off from. Ah, yes." She brought a fist down into her other hands, another resolute nod confirming whatever thoughts she had. "You'll need to collect some branches from the trees growing there first and bring them down to us. There's never enough to build a proper glider, but what you can find on the ground or in the tops is enough to replace certain key parts of the frame." She beamed. "You'll be able to maneuver a bit quicker once you make the change, as well as being able to fly just a little more farther thanks to the lower weight."

"Alright. We'll go ahead and bring some down." Asuna grabbed Kirito by the hand and began tugging him along, waving at Lei and some of the children that were still gathered in the center of the square.

"We'll try to be quick. I imagine it can't be very thrilling knowing that your homes aren't fully protected from the elements. Especially here." I pointed up at the sky, idly reminding myself that it wasn't a true open sky, despite the fact that the ceiling seemed to be a good twenty miles higher than usual.

Lei stared at me a moment, something in her expression causing my heart to cry in pain before it disappeared. "If nothing else, we kin always tear down some of the new buildings for resources. Some of the children might not be happy about it, but I suppose we can call it a sleepover or something. They might enjoy that." The glimmer of humanity in her eyes blinked away, the woman waiting until I uttered a farewell to move off to whatever her programming dictated.

I took deep breaths as I slowly caught up to the twin figures of red and black, forcing myself to focus on how easily the people of this village rebounded from the disaster. "They're not just AI," I whispered, gripping tightly onto my sword. "They can't be."

The trip up the hill and back barely took an hour, and the time needed to enhance our gliders no more than ten minutes each. In that time, the three of us had done what we could to make some of the homes habitable again. By the time two pm rolled around, we were already back atop the hill, what seemed to be the highest grounded point in our sector.

"You're not having second thoughts, are you Miss Asasaki?" A sunny red haired girl peeked into sight, her hands folded behind her.

"Not at all, Miss Asuna." I returned her smile, glad at least one female combatant younger than me was able to treat me like something normal. "I'm just enjoying the calm while we have it. We're supposed to be raiding giant, floating islands after all. Speaking of which," I maneuvered my glider into one hand and manifested the «Banner of Inspiration». "You okay if I use this while we go up there?"

Kirito shook his head. "Sorry, Asasaki. A promise is a promise. No matter how helpful it might be to even the playing field, the agreement was that we were only doing the Floor Boss early to prevent the guilds from fighting over it."

"Yeah, I thought so." I dismissed the banner, maneuvering my glider into a ready position. "Hey, Kii? Quick question about something that's been bugging me. Why would we get an upgrade to our gliders so soon? Especially something that was specifically mentioned to 'improve maneuverability'?"

"That is," Kirito's voice caught in his throat, his lips parted in unformed words. "There are wyverns and winged Tarragon monsters that travel the skies in this section of the floor. There's a rare chance we might end up having to dodge some of them."

I pursed my lips, keeping my swear laden thoughts fully internal. "Any advice you might part upon us, oh wise one?" Asuna's derisive snort did nothing to change my features, as much as I wished to express it.

"In a pinch, you can always pull open your inventory and reequip the glider if you really have to. You'll fall quite a distance, but if there's no way to shake an enemy off your tail it's your best option aside from dive bombing the ground and pulling up at the last second."

"I don't need to be a Beta Tester to know that doing that last one doesn't have a good life expectancy rate." Asuna shook her head and readied herself. "Lead the way, Kirito. We'll stay right behind you."

One by one we leapt off the ledge, our gliders carrying us on the wind. A small part of me worried at the significantly more notable vibrations I felt through the frame but a glance at the durability bar, a small orange box that was above my health bar revealed that it was nothing more than sensations.

I let out a slow breath as we neared the village of the Whispering tribe. At this point in time, the fires had all been snuffed out, and the children were all playing in the center while the remaining adults and teens roamed in pairs of three's and four's to take stock of the wreckage. A few heads turned skywards when Kirito's shadow first flew over them. As Asuna passed by, a good portion of the people had taken to see what was going one. When my turn arrived, nearly every single worker below had expression some form of acknowledgement and well wishing.

 _There's absolutely no way they're not human._

Both my glider and heart dipped after Kirito, the teen leading us down through a rocky tunnel. Guided by small glowing stones the teen's had attached to the tails of their crafts, I focused a good portion of my mind on ensuring that I didn't stray from the path. After a few tense seconds of travel, we leveled out into a large cavern that felt as if it had brought us somewhere into the region that the stairwell from the previous floor took up.

"Up ahead is a large updraft! It's the strongest in the region and it's the only way to get to all the islands! We still need one more upgrade before we can get to the main one, but it's something to keep in mind if you ever decide to come back here without me!" With any further comment, the teen pulled down and dove in the center of the cavern, his glider shooting up and out of sight.

"Women and Children first!" Asuna called out, a small speck of fear tainting her expression.

"Why thank you, kind sir!" I gave a faux salute. Without giving my mind time to protest, I leaned forward and dove into the near invisible vortex of wind, air howling in my ears the instant I entered its zone.

A split second later the entirety of the sixth floor was laid out before me, a strip of darkening clouds stretching from this region to its diagonal counterpart. The only other distinctly green area was made up of large and isolated mountains, similar but contrasting to the carved canyons of the Wind region. I performed a few lazy circles, keeping roughly at the same speed as Kirito. When Asuna finally joined us, we set off towards the closest of the floating islands, a large grove of trees growing atop the large collection of earth.

Upon landing, the black haired swordsman crossed his arms and stared at the hazy, translucent circle resting in between two trees. "Asuna, what does this mean?" He pointed at the circle, bearing a surprisingly professional appearance.

"It means it's an instanced area. It's similar to some of the dungeons we ended up seeing on the fifth floor, but whether or not its repeatable and has a different lay out each time we won't know until we check it out multiple times. At minimum, only a single party is able to go in and interact with each other. Everybody else that happens to go in at the same time will find themselves in their own instance."

"Gold star, Miss Asuna." He chuckled and gave her a thumbs up. "Asasaki, stay close to us, no matter what. Even if we end up sending you to scout ahead or there are monsters that are closing in on us, if you can't see us, do everything in your power to get back within sight, alright? This probably isn't like the Forest of Wavering Mist, but who knows what's been changed." The teen fiddled with the three pouches on his belt, exchanging a few potions from his inventory. "Keep some items for statuses on hand. Last time I was here, I only had to deal with the Tarragon soldiers, but there might be other stuff as well."

"I got it, Kirito. This isn't the first time you've given this speech to me, you know." Asuna rolled her eyes and stepped impatiently towards the entrance, giving a soft apology when she realized it was meant for me. "You know if you're scared, all you have to do is say so and I'll take point," she sung.

"Hey, I'm the one with the higher Vitality stat here! Besides, whoever heard of a DPS player taking Point?" The two disappeared into the mist, the arcane script completely removing all trace of them as they passed through.

"This isn't just a game," I muttered to myself, reaching through the cloud. "It can't be. This is," I took a sharp breath, reminding myself that my forearm was not chopped off and that it was only hidden from view. "This is our new reality." I closed my eyes and stepped through, fiercely shoving the thoughts away.

* * *

 _Don't expect the next chapter until around_ _ **January 5th**_ _or so. I might get something up before then, but family's staying until the new year or so and they're fairly distracting._


	23. Moorburn

_AN: I don't know what it is; whether I lost my groove or writing for Kirito and Asuna is making me feel off about the Land of Dragons (no relation to the KH world). I don't know if it's exactly present, but very often the way I feel about various scenes influences my approach to them. I suppose Asasaki is a bit of a Self Insert in that sense, though it might be more akin to an Actor fully diving into the role of their character whenever they perform._

 _We might be looking at one or two more chapters before this sector is wrapped up and Asasaki returns back to Fūrinkazan. Additionally, I'm changing to a two week upload schedule for the time being. Doing a once a week thing is nice and all, but I second guess my quality too much to be truly happy with it. Perhaps if I get chapters done ahead of time it'll be a one week upload, but I'm going to be aiming for a Two Week._

* * *

I let out a kiai as I sprung from the ground, body twisting to bring as much force as possible into the tip of my blade. «Arpatius, Tarragon Wind Knight» let out a bellowing roar as its greataxe exploded into the ground beside Asuna's prone form, a plume of dirt obscuring the metal.

With a roar, Kirito surged in with a shoulder charge, sending the six foot tall reptoid stumbling away from its weapon. Unloading basic skill after basic skill, the teen forced the zone boss farther back, the monster switching to brutal punches and kicks once it regained balance.

I grit back my curse, hauling Asuna onto her feet while the Stunned effect ticked down. Despite how well the three could perform, the unsettling fact remained that every single strike each of us had taken quartered our health or more.

"Swordsmen, find me an opening!"

I glanced to the side, the lithe Forest Elf we had stumbled across pulling out single, yellow, rectangular crystal and housed in a silver frame. For a moment my mind recalled the underground tree on the third floor, the rolling field of uncovered graves flashing into existence. "F-" I took a sharp breath, recalling the virgin eared child behind me. "-reaking elves." Once footsteps started pushing through the muddied ground I shot off, replacing the image of fading corpses with that of an acrobatic maneuver.

The instant I approached Kirito's clashing form, I jumped and inverted my body, the rotation of my flip allowing me to bring down a «Lumbar Desecration» along the Tarragon's spine. The one handed sword user and I quickly turned Arpatius into a dummy, our impromptu combo ending with a dual spinning roundhouse that sent the giant lizard into the elf's waiting form.

"Back, back!" Kirito pulled Asuna away, his frantic face forcing me to the same conclusion he had reached. A bestial howl interrupted the elf's onslaught, a tangible dome of pressure sending the three of us onto the ground for a third time.

I snarled and rolled onto my feet, reversing my momentum and dashing in to regain control of the situation. _This is a quest boss at most, not a dungeon boss! It should_ not _be taking this long!_ I ducked underneath a deadly punch, a weak elbow strike buying me a precious moment of peace.

 _Think woman, think! Where are the openings!?_ I rolled to the side, «Tormenting Reaver» cutting a depressingly light red along the reptoid's thigh. _There's no way this fight requires the sacrifice of another elf, that'd just be stupid!_ I crouched down, legs forcing me into a nearly horizontal spin that allowed me to dodge the leg sweep. A «Reaver» sent me lunging through Arpatius, a quick punch and pivoting roundhouse allowing me to return with a short hopping strike, the second hit of «Comet Cannon» sending me back to my original spot.

Asuna and Kirito stopped at my previous position, a practised and ever improving combination of defender and attacker forcing holes in Arpatius' stance. "Oi, Elf!" I shouted, cursing my mind for its foolishness. "Tell me you have a non-suicidal solution!" I leapt onto the creature's exposed back, embedding my blade deep through its neck. Behind me the elf's voice was drowned out by the retort of my knuckles meeting barely protected bone, nothing more than a distraction for my weapon to deal whatever amount of residual damage it could deliver while sheathed in a body.

I grit my teeth as I was sent soaring through the air, crossed arms sending a tingle through my body and righting me before landing. "What was that for?!" Kirito voice cracked, the teen desperately deflecting the blindingly fast swings of Arpatius' new weapon.

"I thought it sounded like a fun idea!" I shot back, swapping out for «Armor Splitter». The weapon had since utilized all of its max upgrade attempts, but unfortunately had failed its last two. According to Kirito it was the equivalent of an upgrade level 13 weapon, but with its secondary effect was arguably worth a level 16 rating.

"You're not allowed ideas anymore!" Asuna's blade stabbed out after a heavy miss, every third strike fast enough to nearly be missed before she was yet again knocked away by a devastating kick.

"Damn it all, woman, can't you learn to read attacks yet?!" I swapped sword hands and back handed my former weapon away, the bear claw trailing a blazing yellow through the air. A quick step brought the essential machete straight through Arpatius' right bicep, its health bar marginally dipping on impact.

"Can't you figure out how to cover your partners yet?!" She screamed back, arcs of lightning keeping her in the mud.

"Stop arguing already!" The sound of Kirito's strike was suddenly amplified, the signal of a critical hit drawing the Tarragon Knight's attention onto him. I waited a beat for Arpatius to commit to a strike before driving one of its knees forward with a palm strike, my sword treated like an axe with my sloppy but forceful two handed chop to its neck.

On the other side of the kneeling monster, Kirito's blade arced in the movements I vaguely recognized as Sharp Nail, both of us grunting when another damnable roar sent us flying back, complete with its randomized Stun.

"Your attention belongs to me, wingless drake!" Despite the extremely noticeable speed boost the elf had received from whatever he had activated, Arpatius was still able to maintain the upper hand. The first second of the Stun effect, Arpatius snuck in only a single glancing blow. On the second, a full chop to the elf's sword arm. In the third, the elf was launched back by the same painful kick that had repeatedly introduced itself to Asuna.

 _Dammit, no!_ I clenched my teeth, forcing both Sprint and Acrobatics to work whatever miracle they could as soon as my limbs responded. A familiar feeling nestled into my torso, the sensation of separated bones persiting for naught but a second before turning into a numb void. In the space between the thrust and its subsequent wrench, three unique blades descended upon Arpatius, the monster letting out a wet choke as it fell to its knees.

Whatever it tried to rasp out went unheard by my pain addled mind, an explosion of data signaling the end of the battle. Even though the biting feel of sharpened metal and rended flesh was entirely phantasmal, my body still refused to acknowledge one of the undeniable facts of this world.

"Hey, Asasaki." Asuna's annoyed voice kicked at my hunched form, the jab accentuated by an actual prod of her foot. "There's no pain in this world, so stop acting so melodramatic. You're supposed to be an adult, not a child like Kirito."

My free hand tightened. Were there actual blood in them I was sure my knuckles would be turning bone white from her ignorance. "Doesn't mean the brain won't recreate what it expects," I managed, slowly moving onto my haunches. "And didn't you ask me if this hurt not a few hours ago?"

"That was before I saw you take several weapons to your stomach, arms, and even thigh in the name of an opening, and some of that was in the same fight," she scolded.

I shook my head, preventing my retort from being vocalized. Despite travelling with the two teens, I had never truly joined their party. As a result, they rarely is ever saw my health bar, especially considering you had to stare above somebody's head for a full second or too in order to deal with the obscuring effects of the rain. It was something I was glad for, if only so they wouldn't be panicking like so many others at my utter lack of caring at the terrifyingly familiar prospect of death.

"Spoils of war, Asasaki. I know you didn't get the last hit, but we'll pick the gold up from elsewhere." Kirito quietly set down a few sack of items before me, my sword and the now slain knight's greataxe having been placed neatly behind it while I was busy staving off memories.

"Thanks, Kii. Just give me a minute or two." _Or three. Would a day off be too much to ask for?_ I swallowed down a health pot, keeping both hands occupied with both the perforated stopped and bottle to prevent them from touching the fading wounds.

"Thank you for your assistance. I owe you a great debt, especially you, Madame." He gave a pointed nod at me. "If that sword had ended up impaling me, it is likely I would have instinctively invoked the Spirit Tree's power to finish the beast off." Both Kirito and Asuna's eyes widened, the two sharing a quick look with each other before turning towards me with poorly concealed expressions. "My name is Gar'veni. I am a Forest Elf assigned to the boorishly named Wind region of this floor." He gave a small bow, armor clinking with the motion. "Might I ask what business you have on this island?"

"We were told by the current head of the Whispering village that we needed to get some wood for their homes to be repaired," Kirito answered.

The elf frowned, his face contorted by what was easily described as fury. "Repaired?" The fatherly tone turned cold, reminding me of the few times one of my superiors had been delivered bad news while in a hot zone. "What happened?"

"A group of Tarragon fighters ransacked the village. Lei mentioned they're supposed to be on friendly terms, so it's pretty odd." I tucked my newfound spoils into my inventory, wiping off most of the beads of water on my sword before securing it in its sheath.

"The four Tarragon tribes have had fairly peaceful relations with the humans in this region long before Aincrad was summoned into existence. For them to suddenly turn against their centuries old pact," he brought a hand to his chin, gaze moving away from us. "I believe it would be best if I travelled with your group for now. The humans in this region have regarded me as their protector of sorts. For generations I've looked over them, and on the rare occasion I stay near their homes they care for me in return."

Without thinking I accepted the sudden prompt, Gar'veni blinking at the interface that likely popped up in front of him. "Swordsman magic," I supplied, hoping my surprise at the adjusted Contract prompt wasn't showing. "It's modified from the normal kind, and I'm still learning how to effectively use it, but it should be mutually beneficial for the two of us. Just press the circle if you're willing. We can always hash things out later."

The elf gave me a cautious look before following my words, his status ribbon appearing underneath mine. Partially paying attention to the ensuing conversation about how to gather sufficient wood for the village, I poured over the party details, skewing what numbers I could into my new companion's favor.

From what I gathered, utilizing the «Diplomat» feature would allow me to gain temporary allies that could travel with me as they pleased while the more proper and base «Contract» function would bestow an imitation Player status onto my allies. NPC's listed under the Diplomat section wouldn't be able to benefit from any modifications I assigned to the base skill, but the benefits of leveling and checking their status still carried over. Unlike those under Contract however, there didn't seem to be any sort of function that would allow me to monitor my reputation with said allies.

"Swordsman, tell me: why do you carry Memento Tags of my people on your person?"

I blinked and brought a hand to my neck, realizing that the small metal plates bearing the names of Saruya and his lost brothers had slipped out from my chestpiece at some point. My lip twitched. Deep within my chest my heart wilted in despair, the fresh set of memories blinking through my mind. "To make a long story short, it's to honor a friend I made while assisting your companions in the Forests of Wavering Mist, though I suppose you might recognize that region as the Lostlorn Forest."

"I see." Gar'veni shifted his stance, seeming much like the Father or Uncle his appearance seemed to portray. "And how are they now?"

"Dead." I looked away and clenched my fist around the brass plates, controlling my breathing until the emotions passed. "Only three known Forest Elves survived. Apparently the Fallen Elves in the region enacted a plan of some sort and took over the Spirit Tree they had control of. There was also some sort of plan involving a crystal bearing tree and arcane circles that I never got around to asking about." A scowling grin formed, the expression tainting my next words. "Kind of hard trying to remember to ask about why your friends were pinned to the wall of a cave with some odd energy siphoning the life out of them when you just waded your way past a graveyard of smoking corpses."

Gar'veni stared at me, a pitying look infusing in his eyes. "Sister, remind me to explain to you exactly what you discovered when next we have time." The significantly taller elf laid a hand on my shoulder, the gesture lingering just short of uncomfortable. He strode over to Kirito and Asuna, the two teens quickly conversing about the quality of wood they had gathered before dismissing it into their inventory.

"Hey, Grandma!" Asuna stamped a foot into the soggy ground, clumps of mud springing into the air. "Stop remembering the good old days and hurry up! I'm wet and cold and we still have a travel through the wind to deal with!"

The negative cloud broke away, amused irritation taking over. "Oi, brat! Don't you get started on that age thing with me! I thought one of the tenants of your culture was supposed to respect your elders!" I chorted and strode over to the trio, tucking the tags back where they belonged.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

The bittersweet waters of the Slumbering Lily tea trickled down my throat, its warmth spreading through my entire body. As opposed to the torrential deluge we had travelled through, the storm had since lessened into a flurry of painful droplets that prevented vision past five feet. While I had been elected to speak with Lei, Gar'veni and the two teens had decided to brave the weather and aid the other adults and elder teens with what repairs they could for a few of the larger homes. Unfortunately, between the pool's worth of water falling every minute and the howling wind, the most they would likely be able to accomplish was nothing more than makeshift covers to keep the leaks out.

"I really must thank you for helping us, Lady Swordsman." Lei's cup quitely thunked against the wood, the clay kettle holding the petal fragments resting near the edge.

"If anybody should be thanked, it should be my companions," I deflected. "They're the ones risking their health."

"But it is you who have stayed behind to learn what you could." The woman, perhaps no more than five years younger than myself, shook her head and gave a forlorn smile. "For those of us unable to become strong in physical matters, knowledge is the best we can achieve." The brunette stared bitterly into her own cup, eyes searching for answers she likely already knew but refused to accept.

I placed my cup down on the table, my gaze falling to the three small sigils carved from wood. Each of them represented the heritage of the survivors from their respective village; the sole physical remnant of terrible actions. "When do you plan on sending them through?" I asked. The message that was supposed to have been sent to the Echoing village was never able to be delivered. With all their attention fully on the reconstruction of their homes, the Whispering tribe couldn't afford to send a group of fighters to clear the path through the northwest tunnel. I'd need to confirm it with Kirito and Asuna, but odds were we were meant to be the bearers of misfortune.

"Perhaps in an hour or so," she responded. "All of them have travelled so far, and the last parts into the village are the worst out of any of the trails here, even more so with a rain such as this."

"Best make it two. If the weather was as bad here as it was for us, they'll need more than an hour's rest to recover." I let out a short huff and sent off a message to Klein, two relatively simple kaomoji's first responding in confusion and then an affirmative. "I have some supplies meant for sustenance," I began, looking away in partial second-hand embarrassment. "None of my group, except for perhaps Gar'veni, would be able to prepare it." My hand flicked out and summoned forth a few bags containing meat from the boars on the first floor. "It's not quite the best thing in the world to eat, but-"

"Are ya sure, Lady Swordsman?"

I sighed, both irritation at the overly respectful moniker and annoyance and the interruption groaning behind closed lids. "I'm sure. It'd be relatively easy for me to gather more, so it's not a major hassle." Lei fell silent for a moment. Had she continued a second longer before moving I would have given an apology for how roughly I spoke, but as it was she seemed to have taken no major offense to my words.

"You truly are a blessing from the gods." Lei gave me a radiant smile, one that reminded me of a handful of times I had done simple acts of kindness for civilians back when I performed patrols in various cities.

"If that is what you believe, then so be it. I for one, would prefer if you called me role model, or an aspiration of what youth should try and imitate." I huffed and rested my chin on my palm, purposely avoiding her eyes which were starting to reach levels of Hero Worship. _She seriously can't be getting this excited over the fact that somebody's taking the time to actually talk to her and treat her like a human being instead of looking to her for inspiration, can she?_ I glanced over and poorly disguised my wince as a muscle spasm.

"Oh, you guys made tea for us? Thanks."

I took a deep breath and slowly counted up to ten, finding great interest in the ceiling as Asuna poured herself a serving of the blessed replica of coffee using my previously empty cup. "It's the least we could do as thanks for risking your health," I stated. My attempt to hide my aggravation had gone successful, the red headed rapier user offering a beaming smile and another thanks.

"Eugh, that's disgusting." Immediately upon taking a sip from Asuna's pilfered cup, Kirito made a face. Without another word he gingerly handed the cup back, the girl downing it in short order.

"You must not be much of a coffee person then," she asked, pouring another cupful. Failing to notice the curious looks of Lei and Gar'veni, something I hurried explained as a Swordsman term for energizing drinks, she jokingly chided the noiret for his lack of tastes, chugging down a third cup before slowly working on the fourth.

"If that really is supposed to be coffee, are you sure you didn't just make a mistake downing that much so quickly?" Kirito inched a finger towards Asuna, slowly prodding at her shoulder until she shrugged the digit away.

"This is S-" she coughed, "Aincrad, not our homeland. The worst I'll get is jitters, and that's a worst case scenario. I used to drink coffee all the time when I was studying." Her clear voice quickly became mumbled at the end, the words meshing together in a slur of sounds I couldn't even begin to decipher.

"As far as Issin and I could tell, the only downside to drinking this tea for a day is having trouble falling asleep." I gave her a reproachful look, still irked by the claiming of my cup. "Though we only took a cup or two each meal, not three on an empty stomach."

"Oh, Lord Gar'veni!" The three of us blinked at Lei's phrasing. "Some of the survivors are able to cook, but we were hoping you might be willing to lend us your expertise in the matter." The woman opened up one of the bags, exposing the perfectly cut meat within. "Lady Asasaki graciously offered us some of her stores."

The elf looked over the assortment of food, a small look of distaste I attributed to the amount of pork making him look disgruntled. "Very well. Swordsmen Asasaki, how much more do you have?"

I summoned forth a good portion of the meat stores from the guild storage, ending up having to stack several bags atop the others in order to fit it all on the table. "Unfortunately I don't have much fruits and vegetables on me," I told the elf. "Or spices. It's one thing to gather supplies while making fields and roads safe for passage, it's another to go through a forest or garden and collect edibles." Lei gave me an odd look, one that I decided was confusion or perhaps exasperation at something so contrary to her lifestyle.

"Asasaki, one of these days you've got to tell me your set up. As fast as you move with armor, the damage you put out with normal attacks, and still being able to carry as many items as you are?" Kirito shook his head, staring at me with a mixture of admiration and jealousy. I didn't feel particularly motivated to inform him that all the items were a mere benefit of being part of a guild; I was sure it was something he already knew but happened to forget.

"Swordsman, might I trouble you to help me carry these to their preparation area?" Gar'veni gestured broadly at the table, Lei standing in response to lead us to the place in question.

"Go ahead and finish the tea if you guys want," I offered, grateful for something to do aside from only talking. "I'll be helping out where I can." The two teens nodded and quickly set up around the table, engaging in some topic regarding the local monsters. As the door started closing behind us, I was able to catch the briefest reference to what monster we would be fighting at the end of the questline in this region.

"Those two certainly seem close, do they not?"

I hummed my assent, verbalizing it once more when I realized that the now lighter rain was still drowning out small sounds. "I think they've been fighting side by side for the better part of two months now. If they didn't have some kind of connection, I'd honestly be a little worried." I let out a long breath of air, trying not to compare my own relations with the members of Fūrinkazan.

"The fire pits we use for cooking is over this way." Lei guided us towards a surprisingly undamaged hut, walking at a fast clip but still managing to stay within sight. "Most cooking gets done over personal fires, but I think such a large event would do wonders for everyone, especially the children."

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

A few hours later, I found myself staring at a spiked falchion. Its tang was surprisingly light for its size, a quality that seemed to transfer into my body. For once I had managed to secure the last hit bonus from my companions, and though they both freely admitted I deserved the boon, it felt odd to have taken yet a second weapon from the monsters we felled. "A shame its starts are lower than «Tormenting Reaver». I was actually pretty fond of the time I was able to use a Dao type weapon."

The teens looked over at me, their fingers poised in identical positions over their loot screens. "Sounds like you've found your signature type. Good luck trying to stick to it though. A weapon is only good for one floor every four attempts it has, not counting the floor you get it on." Kirito closed out of his window, gaze falling to the circular opening in the center of the ceiling.

«Cardona, Tarragon Wind Elder» seemed highly focused on meditation; both his fully reactive over offensive attacks and the natural design of his chambers attested to that mindset. The spot the Wind Tarragon leader had fallen was ironically spotlighted by a beam of recreated moonlight, one of the most amusingly cinematic things I'd seen in a while.

I adjusted my hair, moving several stands back into place while our elf companion respectfully brought his fingers along the carvings on the walls. "I'm sure if I waited long enough, Isuke would be able to keep me supplied with the same style." When Asuna's head tilted in confusion, I explained that the man was somebody who had been recommended to me for aesthetically pleasing armor and weapons that still functioned around the same level as its competition.

Gar'veni suddenly stepped away from the walls, a thoughtful look on his face. "Perhaps once I solve the problems in the region, I might join you in your travels, Lady Asasaki."

I purposely ignored the confused silence from Kirito and Asuna, wondering whether or not they knew of the Contract skill. "It's a long trek, and there's a large amount of enemies on the way." When the elf commented how he was looking forward to a new environment I relented, wishing that I could have spent more time with the Sergeant or Asuka and earned another 18 levels for one more slot on my list of contracts.

"Gar'veni, now that we've stopped the Wind Tarragon forces," I closed my eyes at Kirito's words, desperately hoping that the swathes of sentient, bipedal reptoids we had slain would respawn and not label us as mass murderers, "what do you plan on doing now?" When I next opened them, the final objective from the Forest Elf's quest line popped up as completed, the ensuing notification detailing a significant amount of awarded experience for the Contract skill alongside the standard gold and cor.

"With the main threat taken care of, I must return back to the Echoing Village and the Scavenger's Base. If the Ancient Gate has been restored, more Swordsmen are likely to arrive. I must begin preparations in order to manage their numbers effectively." Asuna perked up, asking more of planning the elf would do. "What of you three?" He asked when we entered the main hall. "Where will your blades guide you next?" With those words Gar'veni's status ribbon wiped out of existence, the elf's icon turning from green to yellow.

"Since we're already so high up, we're planning on heading out to the water region on the other side of the basin. We heard talk of how there's somebody who can upgrade our gliders, and once we get that done we're heading down into the fire region for a final upgrade before heading over to the desert." Kirito assumed a rather dramatic pose when he stepped out of the temple, a fist resting on his hip in a manner than made me wonder if I had been rubbing off on him.

"You should be careful when you head into the lands of liquid fire and scorching sand. Being so isolated from our brethren, the Forest Elves and Dark Elves have entered an uneasy peace, but as a result of their assignments the Dark Elves are rather practical in their dealings. Listen to their words. If you are not careful, you may find yourself in an unfavorable contract."

I coughed at that, glad that the creators of what seemed to be Fūrinkazan's signature skill were rather open minded with their wording. "Despite their appearances and what you've seen from us, Kirito and Asuna are rather experienced in handling conversational matters. They're among the best of the Swordsmen that have travelled to Aincrad, and that skill has made them numerous allies and enemies."

The elf gave an understanding nod, gratefully taking his glider from Kirito. "Until next time, Swordsmen. May the Holy Trees of Lysula and Kales'oh watch over you." With the uttered blessing, Gar'veni launched through the air, his glider heading directly towards the crevice housing the entrance to the Wind Scavenger's Base.

"Asasaki, why don't you join our party for this next area? The forests in the Water region are a lot more complicated than the floating islands here. A lot of fog and mist, huge forested areas that have a lot of switchbacks; if you were in our party we could easily find our way to each other."

I continued staring after my potential signee, waiting a few more seconds before shaking my head as if I had only noticed his words. The instant I accepted their health bars appeared under mine, the virtual measurement of closeness to death significantly higher than that of my own recently turned green. "I'm ready whenever you guys are." Without further discussion, three gliders popped out of their holdings, an unsurprising black painted one forming the tip of the wedge.

The additional modification we had received after returning to the Echoing Village kept us flying straight and true, the small shaking in the frame I had felt previous entirely non-existent. As additional thanks for our efforts Isa, the head of the Scavenger's Base, had granted each of us a pair of surprisingly comfortable goggles, the eye guards protecting us against the buffeting winds and freshly starting rain.

After a few minutes we found ourselves passing over a large ridge, the stretch of raised earth fully encircling what seemed to be the ancient remains of a slumbering volcano. I maneuvered my glider to pull beside Kirito, wordlessly pointing towards the geographical feature.

"Final part of the elf quest line here!" He shouted. "It'll be fun, trust me!" The teen grinned, expression fumbling when he momentarially lost control of his craft. The rest of our trip went by quietly, a sudden increase in the rain forcing Kirito to bring us to one of the lower plateaus instead of our original target. "The first thing you two need to know about this region is that the dragons here have a lot of significance to the locals," he began, deciding to keep the goggles on. "Where the Wind Tarragons were more like uneasy neighbors, the Water Tarragons are regarded similar to Shinto gods. If we ever run into one, treat it with respect or like a really friendly but still dangerous animal." Kirito drew his blade and stepped into the woods. Without pause, Asuna stepped after him, her weapon held tightly.

"What sort of monsters should we be looking out for?" Asuna asked, feverishly looking around for anything out of the ordinary. Were it not for how spooky the rumbling flashes of lightning were I would have teased her about what unknown terrors might have been lurking in the dark.

"Snakes about as thick as my legs and as long if not longer than I am tall," I felt no shame in straightening at the exact same time as my female companion, "feathered or scaled chickens that have wyvern wings instead of normal avian ones, and the odd mad squirrel. There's some other monsters as well, but you have to walk off the paths to find those. I never really trained around here so most things I remember were only from word of mouth." Kirito pulled out the torch I had given him earlier in the day, a quick button tap igniting it despite the light spray penetrating the tree line. "If we're quick enough, we could probably finish by 3 in the morning."

I stumbled on my next step, once again reminded of how immersed the duo had become with the mechanics of this world. "Are we supposed to find a village first, or is the first quest here going to be something we have to look out for like the fighting elves back on the third floor?"

"I don't remember. I have a vague memory of a village supposed to be around here, but without an incomplete map I can't say for certain." Kirito whirled around and frowned, blocking the fist Asuna was about to bop him with. "You really need to stop doing that, Asuna. It's one thing to scold me for making us waste time wandering blindly, but you're starting to act like a character out of a manga or anime."

I stepped away from the two, closing my eyes to better focus on the surrounding noise. Underneath the chatter of the teens, an angry chittering repeated itself, the sound interspaced by what felt like clucking. "I think I found the quest, catch up when you're done!" Without waiting to see if the two had recognized what I meant, I Sprinted off, weaving between trees to find the source.

Even with the tingle of the skill coursing through my legs, the origin wasn't too far away. Huddled against the trunk of a massive tree, a strange pink and green feathered dragon around the size of a small feline was hunched over, mouth open and emitting what I thought were warning sounds.

"Copyright infringement," I sung, launching myself into the air and into the center of the group of «Water Tarragon Fowl Scavengers». With a small amount of glee forming at the situation, I slowly raised both my hands in a warning motion, never letting my gaze linger long on the aptly described, scaled chickens.

"Asasaki!" Kirito barreled through the path I had forged, eyes widening at some realization. A beat later, Asuna toppled the still immobile teen over, the damp soil extinguishing the torch.

"Hey, move!" I looked behind and gestured with my free hand, the tiny four legged creature scampering up the tree with a wing trailing brokenly behind it. In the brief moment I had turned away, the six monsters had separated against myself and my companions, three unique sets of claws and beaks vying for a piece of my digital flesh. "Why can't one of these field fights be with something conversational for once!?" I slashed through an over extended neck, hissing in irritation at the amount of fighting I'd done in the past twelve hours.

The draconic bird squawked in pain, its two allies running out from behind and independently aiming for my legs and face with well aimed beak and grasping claws. The former was succinctly grabbed mid lunge and slammed into the latter, an unaided stab skewing the two once they landed. _Damn if I don't need to level up my strength more._ I narrowed my eyes at the 5% the strike dealt, preparing myself for a protracted fight. "Come on, then. You're not getting another bite out of this hot stuff without working for it."

Over and over we traded attacks. Despite my best attempts, the draconian chickens were far too agile for me to handle alone. For every two hits I landed, one of them would manage to sneak in one. Eventually a pair of clawed legs sent a feathered body over my swing, the limbs latching onto my torso. Before the beast finished moving my mind already supplanted the sensation, pain flaring the instant a hard beak contacted my eye.

I snarled grabbed onto its head, slamming the pommel of my sword against it twice before driving the tip through its body. An impact from behind send me stumbling over the stunned avian and into the mud, a hard beak taking full advantage of my prone from. I jerked an elbow into my aggressor, deftly swapping to my right arm to slash at its unbalanced form. With the opening provided, I shot to my feet and flipped back, shattering its form with a gravity assisted sword skill.

"Asasaki!"

Kirito's warning went unneeded. Without pause I latched onto the scavenger's neck and pulled, driving my sword down its throat. A quick step back and whirl brought the enemy down on its recovering ally, Asuna taking care of them with a flurry of her signature moves.

"Is this normal for you?" The rapier user questioned, pulling out a potion. Her gaze lingered on my damaged eye, concern barely hiding the disgust appearing on her face.

"Far more common than I'd like to admit." I chugged the offered item, making a personal note to spend a day asking the locals for useful medicinal plants I could take back to Hilde. Empty bottle stored away, I motioned at the white armor lightly tinted green covering my body. "Part of the reason why I wear all this. I can dodge and deflect blows, but hits still happen. I'd rather the damage be mitigated as much as possible instead of every blow almost killing me."

Asuna gave me a guarded look, maintaining the stare for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Why'd you run off, anyway?" With a frown that seemed like it belonged on a mother, "Didn't Kirito mention not knowing this area? We should stick together. This isn't just a video game, people can die in here."

I let out a quiet puff of annoyance and turned around, staring up the tree I had been fighting by. "Don't have to remind me of that. In case you forgot, I was there when Diavel died." In the boughs of the tree, the dragon stared back at me, tentatively making its way back to the trunk. "And besides, I found a friend. I'm sure this'll work out in the end." The feathered beast quickly traversed down the tree and into my arms, chittering angrily when I adjusted its broken wing to be supported. "I know, I know. Just give us a couple minutes while we try to find someplace that can help, alright?" I turned around and jerked my head towards Kirito. "Alright then, Mr. Tester. We've got a man down and an injured non-com. Better hope that memory of yours is as good as your sword skills, or we're in for a rough night."

Kirito shuffled awkwardly before pulling open his map, staring at it in consternation for several seconds before placing a few markers. "We'll try and move quick then. Asuna, take point and try to disable what you can. I'll handle anything that gets too close. Asasaki, stick close to me. We're going to treat this as an escort mission, priority Asasaki and the dragon." His eyes flicked to the side. "There's no quest indicator, but hopefully that changes once we arrive at the village." Once again we set off without further comment. It was a nice change of pace, but I found myself wishing for Klein's standard words of reassurance.

As we walked, my vision slowly returned to normalcy. The progression was annoyingly slow though I ended up tugging my headpiece down to completely block the grainy, monochrome effect. To be honest, it was a fully unwelcome feeling to be treated like this. Were I capable of fighting I'm certain I wouldn't have been as annoyed, but with the situation being what it was all I could do was wait for Kirito's signal before moving forward.

Eventually we came across a series of simple wooden buildings elevated off the ground by way of numerous silts, staircases leading up to patios protected by what I was certain to be bamboo tiled overhangs. "The biggest one houses the village leader. That's usually how it works, right Kirito?" Asuna jogged up the one in question, doing what she could to remove the rain from her hair.

"Usually. If nothing else, they'll be able to direct us where we need to go." The noiret knocked twice on the door, the three of us standing silently while a set of footfalls approached.

Time had been kind to the man that greeted us, an unspoken question on his open lips. "Oh dear." Immediately upon seeing the injury dragon in my arms he motioned for us to come in, pulling the door to the side.

"Sorry about the intrusion," I said as I entered. After a few moments the man came back with a few towels that he laid on the table, sliding all but one to each of us. The last he gestured for the dragon to be placed on, a small wooden box containing medicinal supplies laid beside it.

"Worry not. Truthfully, I must apologize myself for not having pushed harder for somebody to be standing watch this eve." The man opened another bag and pulled out a handful of berries, laying them by the dragon's head for it to snack on while he tended to the break.

"Is that just standard procedure or has there been trouble recently?" Kirito probed, his coat and sword laying at his side.

"Both," the elder admitted. "Nearly all the inhabitants of this mountain have learned where each village is in respect to the mountain peak and the various formations around us. Having a messenger on foot is more reliable than smoke signals, especially considering the weather."

I noticed my companions share a look but decided not to comment on it, instead looking through my messages at the updates Klein had taken to sending me every fifteen minutes. It seemed that idle exploration had uncovered a cave system that back tracked back into the mainland; they hadn't gone too deep since they wanted to rest, but the area was classified as a dungeon and it was likely they would be out of contact for the entirety of tomorrow. I sent off a short message of well wishing, followed by a simple western smiley face when I realized how much effort it would take to craft one of Klein's eastern variants.

"Yoo hoo, message for Asasaki?" Asuna leaned out of my face when I jolted, brows furled in concentration. "Do you mind taking the dragon outside for a bit? It's getting pretty antsy, and I'm pretty sure out of the three of us it only trusts you." Whether timed or purely coincidental, the dragon snapped at Kirito's outstretched hand, the teen looking astoundingly hurt by the rejection.

"Yeah, sure. No problem." As I rose, the elder quickly told me that I should take the bag of berries along, claiming that the food might help keep the so called 'spirit' appeased. The rain seemed to have grown worse in the few minutes we were inside. As the two of us sat protected from the droplets, I scratched the dragon's head with a finger, suddenly recalling the tilted head guard covering my eye. When I moved the protection back into its proper place, I realized that there was a mostly vertical bump along my brow. Feeling the area more, it hit me that the wound from the scaled chicken had left a scar, something that had never occurred before.

"I get the sense you're going to be following me around for a while," I commented, trying not to think about it could possibly mean. "How does a name sound to you?" The creature lifted its head from my leg, waiting until I met its gaze to trill something I translated as ambivalent acceptance before continuing its rest. "If you're pink and green," I resumed my ministrations, slowing down my breathing. "Buttercup comes to mind, but you seem more like a male dragon than a female."

I chuckled at the resultant chirp, its uninjured wing twitching like a bird ruffling its feathers. "Cotton Candy would be next, but I don't think either of those would fit." I smiled briefly when I realized I had switched to English, wondering if the dragon was still able to understand me or if there was some other factor at play. "What about Daiquiri, and then I call you Dai for short?" The dragon's head shot up at that, giving off a somewhat convoluted series of noises that left me with the oddest sensation of pride.

"Looks like it's settled then. My new feathered friend shall be known as Daiquiri, after a simple but lovely drink that anyone who partakes in the consumption of alcohol should know how to make." I quickly glanced around, wondering if the action of naming a monster NPC would have caused a pop-up to appear. When none came, I merely shook my head, returning my attention to the beast that had settled into my lap.

"Asasaki." Asuna's head peeked through the sliding door, her hands keeping the rest of her body from tumbling through. "Ryu's ready for you now." She slipped back into the building, the door masking her departure.

"So how are we going to do this, Dai? Want be a stuffed animal and rest in my arms or shall I drape you across my neck like a particularly fluffy scarf?" Whether through the understanding of my words or the gestures that I made, the winged quadruped slowly moved up my body and rested across my shoulders, its legs fully hanging over the front of my body. "Comfy?" I asked, switching back to Japanese. With one final soft trill, I gathered the half eaten bag of snacks and headed inside, the warmth of the gentle fire in the center of the room chasing away the minor chill that settled in my body from the rainy weather.

"Apologies for the inconvenience, Swordsmen Asasaki." I gently waved off the apology, setting the bag beside the feather pillow I had used earlier. "Tarragons such as the one you have befriended do not normally take kindly to being taken away from their exposure to the air. I did not wish to aggravate the Spirit more than it already is."

"It's no problem," I sat slowly, mindful not to jostle the additional weight unnecessarily. "The rain was actually really relaxing. Helped me get over the emotional shock of the damages I took during that fight." I raised my right hand to my eye, feeling the the scar tissue on my upper lid. "It's really surprising though," I rolled up my shirt, internally smirking at Kirito's yelp. "This is the first time my body's showed any sort of markings from any attacks I've taken." I prodded the handful of spots I'd been stabbed through, the flesh annoying perfect in spite of how marked and ruined it should be.

"The cockatrices are rumored to have hidden powers as a result of their draconic heritage. Perhaps it is one of those that caused your scar." The Elder, perhaps no older than this late thirties or early forties, nodded sagely. "I am certain that if you face them again, at least one of you will come away with yet another scar on your body."

Two pairs of eyes turned to me, their owners far too confident (however justified) in their ability to dodge attacks. "Scars mean nothing to me," I stated, calmly silencing the internal grousing for my next words. "If anything, it's just a record of the physical events in your life."

Ryu chuckled. "Truer words have never been spoken." The elder's gaze lingered on me for a second too long, his eyes shifting onto Daiquiri's. "How well does the Spirit treat you?"

"About as well as you could expect from a friendly wild animal." Dai's tail flicked up, the soft feathers slapping against my cheek and nose. "Like you should be grateful that it's graced you with its presence." I reached up and fed the dragon another berry. "Basically like a house cat, but more feathery." Kirito and Asuna exchanged yet another glance, an unspoken conversation shared between them.

Ryu nodded once more, his lips pushed together minutely as if holding something back, loosening after a moment of indecision. "I apologize, Swordsmen, but would you be willing to listen to the ramblings of an old man?"

I took in a long breath, holding it for a few moments when I noticed an accursed indicator hovering above his head. "Of course, Elder Ryu. To be honest, I love hearing stories." Asuna smiled sweetly, the appearance a stark contrast to the usual looks of annoyance or indifference she gave me. The green question mark flashed into a yellow exclamation point, disappearing when I stopped focusing at the spot above his head.

"Truthfully, this would not be the first time the cockatrice have acted up. They've been this way every decade for the past century. Attacks, especially against other dragons, should not have occurred for at least another eight years." Ryu picked up a crude iron rod, prodding the charcoal. "The leaders of the other villages and I believe it may be the result of the elves in the region. Some of our trappers have reported seeing our pointy eared neighbors wandering about in great frequency the past few months, suspiciously coinciding with the Cockatrice' activity."

I took a vicious glee in stopping Asuna's triumphant smirk, Dai chidingly chittering at something. "Apologies, Elder, but I find that hard to believe. We spoke with one of the Forest Elves from the Wind region. I was under the impression that the elves here were on good terms with their neighbors."

"That's what we were told about the Wind Tarragons there and look what happened," Asuna shot.

Daiquiri's chirps interrupted my thoughts, the creature nimbly dropping into my lap and demanding to be hand fed more snacks. "Just because one group became bad does not mean all group will." I frowned at the dragon's actions, admonishing its attempts to nibble at my finger with a firm tap on its beaked snout. "If anything, hearing of yet another issue of the local fauna acting up should be a signal for us to take a look around and see what we're missing."

"You suspect there is something else at large?" Ryu shifted, motioning for a young child I had not noticed to come over. After few quiet whispers, the girl bowed and shuffled outside, the door resumed to dull the sound of the now heavier rain. "I cannot think of anything nor anyone that would desire to bring the divine spirits and ourselves into conflict, but if you feel that to be the case then we shall defer to your judgement."

Kirito grinned and leaned forward, bracing his arms on the table for a moment before being reprimanded by Asuna. "Going to show us younglings how to properly sleuth out a perp, Auntie?"

"You make it sound like that's all we're going to be doing," I grumbled. "Seeing as how we're going to be having a long night, Elder Ryu, would you mind giving us a seal or paper of your approval or something along those lines? Being foreigners here, I don't know the situation, but having the backing of somebody as respected as yourself would be a wonderful boon to our cause." Daiquiri curled up after the last berry in the bag, what felt to be a single long feather tucking over his nose.

"My fellow elders should have no problems aiding you, though I can see how such issues may arise. I can prepare a letter of approval for you, though it may take some time to be ready. In the meantime, why don't you see what you can do for the others within the village? I am certain if you improve your standing with the locals, you will be able to hold greater sway should something pressing come up."

Kirito closed his eyes and smiled, a feeling I could relate to considering how fluid a transition Ryu's words were to more quests. "We'll do what we can. Until then, Elder." The three of us waiting for the aging man to his chambers before speaking.

"So how long should we wait, Kirito?" Asuna leaned closer to me, focused entirely on the slumbering dragon.

"An hour at most. At the very least we really should talk to the locals, see what information we can find. Check your quest list every so often. This'll probably end up like the Shipwright of Yore quest and we'll get a notification when its ready." Kirito gathered his belongings and stood, closing out of what was probably his quest log.

"Divide and conquer?" I suggested, neatly folding the bag before standing.

"Divide and conquer. I'll take the northern third. Asuna, take the eastern. Asasaki, the western. Save anything that requires us to head outside the village for later, and do what we can now. If you check out all the houses and Ryu's still not ready for us, we'll try and tackle whatever we can combine. Remember, we're still on a deadline of sorts. Argo can only keep everybody occupied for another day or two while she finishes up her quest guide for the fifth floor. After that, we'll have to start competing for resources."

Where I expected a group cheer to occur, a round of nods were exchanged, Asuna and Kirito leaving me behind with only a cat disguised as a feathered dragon as company. "I guess it's time to meet the neighbors, Dai. C'mon, I'm sure it'll be a fun experience."

* * *

 _If all goes according to plan, next chapter should be out by January 26-27th._


	24. Evanescence

_AN: Whew. So many things I could say. I think first and foremost is that I've probably gotten in over my head in regards to this section. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I've been thinking it's a combination of creating my entirely own place (this version of the 6th floor coming before Reki's publication/translation) as well as not being used to writing for Kirito and Asuna. Regardless, I'll keep chugging through these. I could very well just skip past it, but this is a self challenge, and I intend to come out on top._

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"Asuna, right!" I spun on a foot and brought my sword down, the metal cutting several strands of Asuna's trailing hair before sinking through the stone plating of my assailant. "You two take care of the collection quests, he said," I batted away a fist, sword moving between my ally and her opponent to dissuade an attack. "It'll be fine, he said," my shoulder crashed into Asuna's enemy, the move sending it skidding back several feet. "Fine, he said!" Behind me Asuna's rapier splashed out against my former target, my mind supplanting the image of five «Linear» stabs arranged in a vaguely star shaped pattern around the deep circle of «Oblique».

"Just shut up and keep attacking! God, how can somebody talk so much during a fight?!" In a single motion, the red head ducked underneath another swing and took a quick step back, the system recognizing her delicate stance as the requirement for a three hitting combo that swiped high then low before springing her into the air in a manner very similar to my own «Pierce the Sun».

"It's how I stay calm!" I shouted back, very intently not letting myself mount the beast on its back for a critical stab. If I had more than a second between each attack, I would have long swapped to «Armor Splitter», its passive far more useful with an accurate partner than that of «Tormenting Reaver». "Where the fuck is Kirito!?"

The teen whirled away from her foe, irritation compounding. "Watch your language, dammit!"

I clicked my tongue at her moment of inattention, aborting my strike to steal the aggro of her enemy with a Sprint assisted «Reaver». "We're both under 50% and you're seriously going to get on my case about word choice? Priorities, woman!" A drop kick was pushed aside by what was quickly becoming one of my favored move from the Martial Arts skill, the goldish glowing bear claw quickly revolving back to its starting position to deflect an incredibly telegraphed haymaker from monster number two.

"A life or death situation is no reason to forget your morals!" Health replenished by a potion, Kirito's rumored sole companion returned back into the fray and stole away my original target. It irritated me more than it should have, but by the next time we swapped targets the sheer amount of strike she brought forth had caused nearly double my damage.

"Quite frankly, I don't give a rat's ass about morals!" _Oh, screw this._ I weaved underneath a heavily unbalanced swing and drove Tormenting Reaver through a gap in the gorilla's front armor, a spinning «Waning Moon» nailing the hilt of my blade and increasing the Stun debuff. In that span of five seconds, I let loose a stream of system aided attacks, warning Asuna to cover me before slipping away with my usual dual Reaver's interspaced by a single «Tormenting Blow».

Not even a few moments passed before her voice carried through the rain. "I'm not meant to tank, hurry up and get back here!"

Ignoring the bone rattling roars of the «Plated Behemoths», Armor Splitter was summoned forth into my waiting hand, its leather sheath gently tapping against my armor. "Don't think, just move, don't think, just move." Without an extra level or three of stat points to abuse, the best I could do was rely on my instincts and reactions to carry me through the fight. Strike after strike, spin after dizzying spin, I maintained the gorilla's attention while Asuna continued whittling their health down.

The few times they did sneak a blow in, the aerial recover mod from Acrobatics kept me going strong, my mind commenting on how weak the blow felt compared to the breath stopping kicks of Arpatius. When the fronts of both enemies were laced with the red exposure points of my arguable off hand, Asuna let out a screaming chain of Linear's, momentarially upgrading her nickname of Shooting Star to Meteor Shower.

"Bloody hell," I mumbled, sheathing my blades before falling on my rear. "Sorry, As. I think I'm out for the next hour or so." I crossed my arms over my knees and leaned my head against them, slowly catalogued my way through the aches and pains in my limbs that I hadn't felt since the last heavy work out I did in the real world. "Fatigue's hitting me hard right now, the most I can do is take care of talking and non-combative fetch quests." What I presumed to be Asuna's equally tired form splashed into the mud nearby, her labored breathing making me wonder whether we were both suffering from fatigue or if her mind had forgotten the rules of this world.

"How about we take five for now?" She suggested, a tired hand working her interface. "I let Kirito know what's going on, so we don't need to hurry too much." The limb plopped back into the mud, our instinctive grasps for oxygen drowned out by the worsening rain.

"You sure you wanna be laying down face up like that?" I asked, forcing my protesting body into several stretches.

"I'm fine." Asuna took a deep breath before rolling onto her front, slowly moving into a sitting position and mimicking my actions. "It's not like we need to breathe here, and the system does a terrible job of making you think something down the wrong pipe. It's all translated as drinking or swallowing food, not 'Oh god, I'm choking'."

"There's a story behind that, I know it." After a few more moments of a forward split I stood up, wiping as much mud off my armor and clothing as possible before resigning myself to the next several hours being chapped, flaky, and slightly sticky. "Some good news at least. Those two brutes dropped those heirlooms we were looking for." I pulled out the two loot bags, opening them to reveal the palm sized green and red orbs within, each one decorated in a sigil I vaguely recognized but decided was original enough to not warrant remarking upon.

"All that work just for this?" Asuna scoffed in annoyance, chugging down another potion now that the timer passed.

"It could be worse," I joked. "It could be a loaf of bread." When she failed to get the reference, I merely grinned. "Me being me and you being you, what do you say to trying to figure out what sort of stupid rewards we'll get for completing all the quests at this village? And no, that's not an insult. That's a comment on how we're both pretty uninformed about games, even if we are surprisingly adept at recognizing patterns."

"How about an umbrella for starters?" She posed.

"And I suppose it'll double as a sword or spear as well?" I grinned at the thought, cognate that the effort required to code such a myriad of manifestations would have arguably been worth the same amount of effort for an extra floor if not more.

"And it can be repainted, and Kirito will subconsciously lay dibs on it while the two of us stare at him in disappointment for fixating on yet another black colored item."

It was my snorting that started the peals of laughter, the two of us leaning against each other while attempting to recover. "Seriously, what is up with that kid and the color black?" I managed between snickers.

"I never asked. I bet it's because he thinks it makes him look cool or something. Boys around his age are still into that sort of thing." Eventually Asuna recovered enough to start walking, taking point in what was probably trust in me to head off enemies before they got to her significantly more frail build.

"That behavior doesn't entirely get out until their mid twenties at latest, worse if they're anti-social and never get out of the house much." I sniffed and checked my map, subtly guiding us back onto the main path.

"You're not getting sick, are you, Asasaki?"

"I don't think you can even get sick in here, aside from Fatigue. No, that sniffle was just me getting over the laughter from what's honestly something that'll happen sometime down the line." When she gave me a questioning look, I gave a simplified speech about how there were vendors on the lower floors selling proper harvest scythes as a two handed weapon and how difficult learning the fighting style for it was as opposed to a normal polearm such as a halberd or pike. "Fans of the fantasy genre just like their concepts, I suppose. Compared to such a useless and outlandish weapon, one designed to look and function as an umbrella is practically a certainty."

When we arrived at Tidal Village it was exactly as we had left it; soaked, muddy ground splishing with every step, clay tiles funneling the strengthening downpour into carved channels that had grown wider as the decades passed. The moment we stepped onto the cobblestone paths Asuna began running towards the only lit hut in the entirety of the settlement, her distinctive red outfit resting under the protection of the roof.

"You know running just makes it worse, right?" I sat down beside her, taking off my boots and shaking what water I could from them before putting on a functional but purely cosmetic pair. "You moving through more droplets as they're falling as opposed to taking your standard pace and letting the rain come to you."

Asuna unequipped all her outer garments, letting the system reset their status before putting them back on. "I know. But I also know I get where its dry faster." After a moment she rushed inside, leaving the door slightly ajar for me.

"Nineteen thirty seven," I whispered, looking away from my clock. If Kirito tried to get us to continue these quests as we worked our way up the mountain, I'd fully abuse my status as the adult and suggest we take at least thirty minutes to stretch out and eat. The two teens had been working since at least an hour or so after sunrise, and as far as I could tell had been operating nearly full steam the entire time. "Is it just them being kids and having limitless energy or are they used to this sort of thing?"

After another minute or two of pondering I headed inside, Daiquiri immediately chipping for my attention from his coiled bed made from a finely made blanket. "I've only been gone half an hour at most, did you really miss me that badly?" I pulled over one of the cushions and sat in front of the feathered dragon, translating its claw on my hand and gentle biting of my fingers as a demand to be fed.

"That spirit has really taken a liking to you, Swordsmen Asasaki."

I refrained from responding to Asuna's teasing look, well aware that the girl would have turned whatever I said back against me. "I'd say I'm good with animals, but it was only from constantly paying attention to them for multiple weeks, not instant like this one."

The teen merely snorted and pulled off another piece off her loaf, a small bowl of nuts and berries laying to her right. "How much longer do you think Kirito's going to take?"

"Your companion?" The elder of the village, a woman by the name of Aren, blinked owlishly at us. "He left just a few minutes before you arrived. He said something about how he was going to go ahead and deliver a message while you two wrapped up in this area."

My internal tirade was stopped by Dai, the dragon suddenly shoving the top of his head against my fingers. "You are such an attention whore, you know that?" I reprimanded softly.

"I don't suppose he left us a note of what needed to be done?" Based on Asuna's expression, this wasn't the first time Kirito had decided to split off. Something about this time seemed to have bothered her more than usual.

Recalling what we had set out for, I pulled out the two gems, wondering why the tingling in my hand felt so familiar. "How'd you guys lose these, anyway?"

"The building they were stored in was raided the other night. The door itself was broken open. Oddly, nothing else was taken." Aeren's lips moved into a thin line, consternation appearing on her face. "But that is in the past. Thank you for your work. Unfortunately, I must trouble you with one more request. From what your friend gathered, the last heirloom has been moved deep into their nest somewhere higher up on the mountain in the southeast portion."

Asuna scoffed quietly, looking to to the side with annoyance before composing herself. "We'll get started on it shortly."

"Feel free to take whatever you need from the storage room. Between this rain and the travelling you will do, it would be prudent to be as stocked as possible." Without further ado, the elder turned around and returned to her room.

"Thirty minutes?" I asked, scratching Daiquiri's head while he continued to snack.

"Thirty minutes," Asuna confirmed. "We should double check our supplies while we're here, maybe reorganize them between us. I know for certain you've taken more damage than me, even if you haven't used as many potions." She folded her arms and eyed me critically. "I hope you don't mind if I ask you to continue taking point. That dual wielding thing was weird, but effective."

"It's tiring though." I straightened and drew my secondary, laying it on the table. "Even having two weapons out like this prevents me from using sword skills, so we'll be relying almost entirely on you for damage unless my strikes get lucky or hit true and I land a critical."

"I'll just have to pick up the slack then." Asuna grinned. "You know, despite your not caring at all about getting attacked, I'm really enjoying fighting alongside you. It's a lot different then how Kirito usually has me working." She stared at her lap for a few seconds, time I spent continuing to bend to Daiquiri's demands.

"It's like," she tilted her head, searching for the right words. "It's like taking a pop quiz as a refresher. I know the skills and material, but it's been a while since I last had to use it and the questions are making me approach the problems from new angles." Asuna stood and stretched her arms above her head, making a face I was certain everyone who did the same motion made when realizing their stretching did nothing for physical sensations. "I'm going to go take a nap for now, maybe stretch out more. Get me when it's time?" Once I acknowledged her request the teen headed off into a seperate room, leaving me with the wounded dragon.

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I raised a fist in warning, molding myself to the contours of the tree. Behind me Asuna's breath stilled, the girl taking my advice of being stealthy to heart. The entirety of the forest had been designated as an instanced zone; from whatever entry we tried to take, we would instantly be cut off from communication with the rest of the world.

Asuna had in no uncertain terms appointed me to the position of leader for the time being, trusting me to lead us through safely. Another duo of the «Armored Behemoths» shambled past us, the fifth such group we had seen since entering. After checking the path, I motioned for us to continue, slinking between the brush and relying on the rapid but intermittent lightning to avoid obstacles. In time we found ourselves at the entrance to a cave, arriving to the conclusion that the monsters were exiting at regular intervals. "But where they return to-"

"Is probably from an entrance higher up." Asuna peeked around the side of the brush as I had taught her, head swiveling to make sure nothing hostile was around. "Aside from a few weird things like crafting and water there's still a lot of realism. All these guys going out to collect resources are probably returning through somewhere else to take a break."

"Smart thinking," I whispered. Wordlessly, I brought out a pair of unlit torches, offering one to her. "If we need light, I'll take care of it, but just in case I want you to have one." After a moment I shook my head, recalling how recent caves seemed entirely random on whether or not they had lighting. "We wait for the next group to pass by." As soon as they did I rose and began sneaking through, changing to a quick but quiet gait in the tunnel.

The cavern was unsurprisingly lit every few dozen feet by softly glowing crystals embedded into the walls. Unlike the previous ones I had encountered, these were a softly glowing red, an irritating but wonderful shade to work in the dark with. "I don't like how deep this tunnel is going." Asuna pulled her rapier out, her steps moving significantly closer to me in what was probably an attempt to calm her nerves.

"It's entirely possible we'll find ourselves either in an ant colony network of passages or the dug out ruins of an ancient civilization." I chuckled at the thought, making a mental bet that the latter was exactly what we were heading. Eventually the path split into two, each one deep enough we couldn't see where they went. "Left side looks like they come towards us. Right path looks like the traffic only goes down." I took a half step towards the left path, waiting for Asuna's input. Without a word she motioned for me to lead on. When I questioned her jitteriness, she explained it as not being able to move around as much as she'd normally be able to.

As soon as we exited the tunnel I tugged Asuna to the side, hiding behind a large pile of rubble surrounding a broken wall. When the behemoths passed I let out a relieved sigh, prodding my frozen companion in the shoulder like I had seen Kirito do so many times. "If it's all well and good with you, I'd like to get going. This place is stupidly large and I'd rather not spend more time down here. My memories of being underground aren't exactly the best."

The teen apologized, explaining her shock as the result of seeing the remnants of an entire underground. "You don't think there's going to be a bigger quest down here, right? Something that we're going to end up getting involved with?"

I gave a soft no, peering around the corner of the stone building before darting across the street. "This region is probably going to be something similar to Gal'veni. For some reason the system is registering us as testers or pioneers and giving us something special." I pulled back slightly, hoping that the natural darkness would work in place of the Sneak skill. "Remember he said he had to prepare for the incoming arrivals, I doubt that would have been said if everybody had to go through the kind of quests we've been doing."

"Kirito's been going on about that sometimes," she whispered, now fully in the groove of my staggered movements. "There's an NPC that's more sentient than others we've been working with the past few floors. Some of the more recent quests have been a lot more detailed than anything else." At my signal she readied her weapon, following my lead into the house.

Finding nothing but pebbles and dust covered furniture greeting us, I grabbed ahold of a brass plated candelabra, using the light from the crystals embedded in the tips to guide us into the second floor. "Define detailed," I pressed, uncertainty filling my mind.

The red head shifted for a bit, using my gesture to avoid the windows to compose herself. "It's hard to explain. With normal NPC's, conversations feel like I'm going through a well made list of branching options, but with her everything feels more life like. She doesn't default to the usual 'I'm sorry, I don't understand' line that most NPC's use. If we say something she doesn't get, she narrows her eyes or expresses confusion and then asks for clarification."

I peeked over the window sill, tsk'ing at a building on the opposite side of the city that was surrounded by that damnable purple growth, utterly at ends with the peaceful ambience of the ruins. "You're not the only one," I commented, replaying her last line. "When's the last time you checked your skill list?" It was a gamble, and I wasn't sure if she'd have it, but it would have been nice to know that somebody else had acquired the Contract skill.

"Not since the day before when I was working my Tailoring skill." Her head canted to the left. "Why did you sigh so heavily just then? I don't know you that well, but every time something's bothering you either hiss, make a strange noise with your tongue or teeth, or end up coughing. Sighing's new."

"Just some hopes that were dashed. You don't need to worry about it for now, it'll come up eventually." Immediately after saying that I regretted my word choice, expecting usual teenage behavior to rear its head in the form of incessant badgering. When it didn't arrive, "What, just going to roll over and accept that?"

"Kirito told me to trust you more," she said once she snuck past a patrolling group. "Even if it's only temporary, if I can't rely on you to make the best decision at any moment, how am I supposed to fight by your side like I fight by his? I don't like it, and I feel like it's more important than you're letting on, but if you think I don't need to worry about it, I won't worry about it. Just like I've stopped worrying about how often your health gets into the red."

"Believe me, it irritates me just as much as everybody else that my health gets that low." After a moment I fervently nudged Asuna behind the ruins of a wall, holding a finger to her lips as a trio of stone plated monkeys hobbled past. "So that's two different species in this monster line." I kept my voice as low as possible, unsure the enemies wouldn't have enhanced senses on top of their modified physical capabilities.

"How many more do you think there are?"

"One more, two at most. A large and small combination isn't usual from what I've been told, but it'd be a safe bet to consider that there'd be a third to cover whatever holes two alone would have." After a few close calls regarding napping enemies, we finally made it to the immaculate building along the very edge of the massive chamber. "We'll wait a few moments. I doubt anything will happen, but-" At that very instant, I closed my mouth, gesturing for Asuna to move farther back into the shadow of a long dead tree.

There was some faint chatter from the elf that had just left the building, but without a system enhancement I could only imagine what was being said. After a tense moment of stillness, the fallen elf continued down the path, looking every bit as ominous as my mind painfully supplied.

"What are the Fallen Elves doing here?" Asuna pressed her lips together, stealing a glance over the cobblestone wall before looking back down at the emptied path.

"10 cor says they're in charge of monsters and aggression in this area," I immediately offered. I shook my head when Asuna failed to respond, something I attributed to sheer incredulity at the suddenness. "So how do you want to do this?" There's probably at least one or two elves in there if not more. It's going to be cramped, close quarters, and who knows what sort of armor and weapons they'll have. Milk Runner over there certainly seemed to be lacking in the armor department, though knowing Elves there's probably something special with his clothing."

"I guess you go in one handed, try and get an opponent under your control, and then I'll attack them? Rinse and repeat as needed?"

"Quick and dirty, then." My lips twitched into a smile. "I like it. Look for the exposures. I'll be using Armor Splitter for this. You have a cloak of some kind? Don't know if it'll help us out in regards to sneaking around, but I feel like dressing up for the occasion."

After a moment the girl pulled out a simple brown cloak, the strikingly higher quality fabric rippling with every step. "Now you're starting to remind me of Kirito with how much emphasis you're putting on appearances." Her left hand swiped out, nodding at whatever her screens were displaying. "Ready when you are."

I raised my hand towards the door, quietly counting back from three. Immediately upon opening the door, I brought forth the full breadth of Sprint, maneuvering onto the wood table and kicking a bowl of steaming liquid onto the male elf in the room. I kept the momentum going with a quick spin, flipping over the female elf. While my tang hit nothing but air, the follow up grapple went uncontested, the edge of my sword biting into the female elf's neck as she desperately tried to escape.

At that moment Asuna made her appearance, her rapier splashing into the elf's torso. The teen yelped and stumbled back, a hand axe rushing through the space where her head used to be. An elbow was suddenly driven into my side, an attack I met in kind by way of knee. Taking a step back, I slammed the pommel of my weapon into my target's head, sending a spinning hook kick into her side before vaulting over the table and stabbing the axe using male from behind.

«Lu'ciel, Fallen Elf Researcher» merely growled and whirled around, a metal reinforced glove whooshing past my face. Without pause I landed a glancing blow along his arm protections, my arm coiling on the downswing and bringing the tip of my sword into his gut. I shut down my desire to spout out a line of some kind, withdrawing my blade and pulling his head into my knee one, twice, three times before he broke free with haphazard swings.

Lu'ciel's hand shot out in a manner frustratingly similar to sahuagin mini-boss Zirgog, grabbing my head almost in its entirety and slamming my onto the table. In the short span the Stun effect persisted, a sharp numbness made itself known in my chest, the metal of whatever weapon he used completely ignoring the resistances of my armor.

A tingle jerked my body sideways, my body instinctively slashing out and cutting the forearm of the female elf. Without thinking, I braced myself on the table and shot my legs forward, twin heels slamming into the face of «Zera'kal, Fallen Elf Hunter». "I'll be taking that," I uttered, fervently dropping the dagger into my inventory. I let out a reactive breath, my vision partially fading when a heavy fist buried itself in my back. Asuna exacted revenge for the strike with a short flurry of Linear's, ducking a crazed axe swing and unleashing one of her tri-strikes from the crouching position.

I followed up with a simple Sprint aided shoulder charge, the force knocking the male elf out of the dining room and into the hall. "Other!" I called, hurling the chair behind me into the recovered dagger user. Once again I initiated first, Asuna following up my basic attacks against Zera'kal with system aided stabs. Before long we were interrupted by dual axe heads burying themselves in our backs, bringing me deeper into the red.

Angrilly, I yanked mine out and whirled the weapon into the hunter's neck, her body fully stopping the momentum of my strike before shattering. Behind us Lu'ciel raged, his footsteps the only warning of a powerful but telegraphed haymaker. In spite of my prediction, the strike was aborted, the elf nimbly turning the right cross into a left uppercut. I briefly appreciated the detail the wood boards the ceiling had, a gloved hand grasping me by the ankle and returning me to the ground.

"Asasaki, pot!" Asuna's muffled voice breached the confusion, obnoxious yellow and orange squares ticking down near my status ribbon. Suffering from an application of Dazed, I managed to roll forward and pull out a potion from my inventory, downing it successfully while my companion brought me time.

With a better clarity of mind I pulled open my inventory, a practiced hand summoning forth «Tormenting Reaver» to make up for my dropped kopis. Regardless of the fact that Lu'ciel was both significantly taller and tankier than us, the fact that it was a one against two fight meant he fell in short order, baleful eyes communicating an eternity of hatred as I delivered the killing blow.

"I don't like the fact that they were named," I stated, collecting the dropped weapons. Asuna chugged down a potion of her own, worriedly glancing where our health bars should be.

"I really don't understand how you can be so calm despite having gone below 20%." The teen sheathed her weapon without any fanfare, the blade gently clicking into place.

"Run into a spider web enough times, you stop freaking out. The same theory applies to near death situations for me. Some of them might shake me, but for the most part all it gets is a tisk and a couple minutes of annoyance." I pulled out a handful of the pieces of glowing crystal I had taken earlier, Asuna doing the same when I started walking through the small but rather homely building. "If I were a pretty gemstone that probably has some kind of magical effect, where would I be?"

Asuna gave me a chiding look. "SAO doesn't have magic, remember?"

"Then explain glowing crystals, aging books that have rituals drawn onto them, and why the crystal growths around this building specifically are purple instead of the soft red pushing orange that we've been seeing down here." I pointed out each item in question, pocketing the journal in each room left on the bedside tables.

"Design choice, aesthetics, and aesthetics once again. Like how Kirito claims that red lighting in game with robots mean danger while blue lighting means safety." Asuna tickled her fingers off as she spoke, rifling through an unlocked chest.

"Hey, Asuna? Lemme ask you something." I placed the crystals on a table in the corner of the room, their combined glow similar to that of a set of candles. "Does it bother you that we just killed two sentient beings and are now looking through their stuff?"

"Only when you put it that way," she responded. "But they're still just AI and they were trying to kill us, so there's nothing wrong with that. "

I gave an ambiguous hum, bringing us to the next room. It took until the last of the four living quarters to find the blue heirloom, but eventually we escaped backed to the surface without any more interruptions.

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I brushed my hair out of my eyes, the proverbial straw of stress causing my normally practiced movements of fixing the strands to turn jagged. "Any word back from Kirito?"

"Nothing. He's still in a public area, but whatever he's doing is keeping him busy. You didn't do anything to bother him, did you?"

"Me?" I stared at her, startled. "Barring that trip across the bridge this morning, I haven't even had five minutes with the kid. Ever. It's always with the two of you." With the rain having settled substantially, Asuna and I were much less rushed to get out of the rain. The two of us performed our same behavior as before, not wanting to track mud or droplets into the house. "Speaking of which, you aren't always hanging around him, right? I mean, you have other friends you do things with?" Daiquiri immediately started chirping for me upon hearing my voice, the teen following me into the room we had been given.

"Of course I have other friends. What, you thought I was like a love sick puppy or something, following after Kirito all the time because he's all I know?" She scoffed, affrontation hiding whatever sort of embarrassment she had if any existed.

"I was just making sure," I soothed, making sure my tone was calming for both the dragon and my companion. "I know I don't spend much time with either of you, but I still think about you two. It's important to maintain some semblance of normality, even if this world is vastly different."

"You should tell that to Kirito. No matter how many times I tell him that, I don't think he really listens. If I step out of the room during meal times, he reverts back to whatever habits he normally has. I swear that boy was a shut in back in the real world." She scoffed and cross her arms, mouth moving far too rapidly for me to tell what she was mumbling.

I shook my head minutely, telling myself to stop looking into her actions so much. "I think most people were. Remember that a lot of people stood in line for a couple days just to get their copy, not counting the thousand or so people who were able to reserve theirs from the beta." I adjusted my arms for Dai, the dragon adjusting to a more comfortable position once I stilled. "If Kirito doesn't say anything, what do you suggest we do?"

"Just pick one of the villages up the mountainside, I guess. Either Kirito's there or he's not, not our fault he isn't responding." Seeing my expression, "And yes, I do care for him. But he's a big boy and he knows this game. I mentioned before that he likes to practice past whenever he calls it for the day. That training means going down to one of the lower floors or some place close to the portal towns and fighting on his own. A group might be safer but for somebody like him who knows monster attack patterns, doing it solo is more efficient."

I set the dragon down on the table, offering up my cloak as a blanket in addition to the embroidered one he was currently using as a nest. "If you're fine with it, I suppose that means I have nothing to worry about." I ignored her denial of having ever stated she was fine with his behavior, pulling out the final gem instead. "You know these things feel magical? Touching them caused a tingle at the points of contact. The same tingle I've noticed when I use Acrobatics or Sprint. Honestly don't know what it means, but just thought I should bring it up."

"If you want to call it magical, be my guest. SAO doesn't have magic though. The weird parts are just a game." Taking the quest item from me, the rapier user stood up and went to rouse the elder, her voice softly floating over from the hall.

"A game might still have magic though," I quietly countered. "A crystal bearing tree might be fantasy, but I know a magic circle when I see one." I swiped open my inventory, staring at the leatherbound, decorated journal pointedly slotted into my system designated quest items tab. The label and description were firmly in Japanese and designated as belonging to each of the three inhabitants of that house, but when I opened it up to read its contents all that greeted me was an unknown language that felt coded.

Grumbling at the over complexity of designers, I pulled over my quest log to make sure that nothing new had showed up. The text was still the same as when I had last checked it. Under the box for the «Valley of Dragons» it detailed to investigate the events surrounding Mount Lucidity as well as returning all three heirlooms to Elder Aeren at Tidal Village. For persisting quests there were tabs for both Asuka Mitsui as well as Lady Hilde from the first floor. Despite constantly reminding myself to stop by the outpost once more, I had never managed to find a moment for it. All my time seemed to have been taken up by leveling and running errands. "Before I return to the others then," I mused.

Elder Aeren and Asuna returned shortly, the former staring in not quite surprise at my idle petting of the dragon. "How truly remarkable." Without bothering to explain, she quickly sat down at her normal spot across from me, Asuna setting down a prepared tea set for us. "Thank you for returning our precious treasures. We've long since forgot their significance, but their history is ancient according to what writings have survived the ages."

"Speaking of history," I glanced over at my my companion, the teen unable to pick up on my unspoken question. "Are there any stories that you know of, oral or otherwise, that speak of a lost underground city?"

"Only oral," she admitted. "We regard it as the origin of the six tribes on this mountain. The details vary depending on who you talk to regarding who was in charge, our architecture, and way of life, but we all agree that it was a city carved from the stone beneath us. In those days the four tribes were not as unified, nor were our Tarragon neighbors as peaceful as they became. Our numbers at the time were quite small. Unlike now where we are hunters, gatherers, and farmers, we were purely scavengers. Any food we found were through sheer luck or the remnants of what meat the wandering Demons left."

The elder shook her head, laughing at something only she was privy to. "If you wandered into those ruins then I am terribly sorry for what you must have gone through. Though nobody has spent the time to learn their numbers, the corrupted animals on this mountain must have surely taken residence there."

Asuna's mouth opened, the girl seeming a bit lost without her usual companion to guide the conversation. "Corrupted animals? You mean like those dark furred apes and monkeys?"

"The former we call Behemoths, and second we have termed Infiltrators. There are rumors of type of cat roaming around but none of our hunters have seen them in the past fifty years so we've only been regarded the tales as rumors." Aeren thanked the youngest of our group for the tea, blowing on it slightly before sipping. "Without something such as a heavy hammer or pick, it would be in your best interests to avoid these monsters. Even with a way to break through their natural defense, you would still have to deal with the enhanced abilities alongside their stronger aggression."

Daiquiri immediately began cooing for attention at this point, my eye rolled aborted to deal with the sudden nips at my hand. "I don't suppose you'd know where we could find such a weapon?" I tried not to pay attention to the gently bouncing, translucent yellow exclamation point floating above the elder's head. Asuna seemed to have become desensitized to the graphic, eyes only flicking a single time at the standard NPC signifier.

"The only village that could possibly have such equipment would be in Cataract VIllage, higher up on the north west part of the mountain. The rocks there are more exposed to the elements and they've made their living the past few centuries supplying metals to the rest of us in exchange for basic necessities." Aeren murmured something to the redhead, the teen offering an agreement in return. "As it turns out, your male companion went the opposite direction, over to Byssus Village. They're more well known for their clothing, something you'll need to acquire if you wish to go much higher than their elevations. Rarely do we receive snow up here, but the summit becomes significantly more chilly."

"So it turns out we have to split up after all." I took a deep breath, Asuna taking the initiative to express gratitude for putting us up for the short time.

"No, it is I who should be thanking you." Aeren stood and bowed, Asuna immediately beginning to stammer and bow in return. "Without your efforts, who knows if we would have ever gotten our heirlooms back."

"We should get going," I started. "There's still things to do, and by the sounds of it the weather is still as favorable as it'll be." I gathered Daiquiri into my arms, managing to hold him with a single arm underneath my cloak.

"Feel free to stop by if you're ever in the area. Our people will be eternally grateful."

Perhaps two dozen minutes later, I tilted my head towards my companion, fully aware that were I in the real world I would be shivering and sneezing from my water logged clothing. "Hey, Asuna, what worthless trinket would you love to spend your cor on more than anything else?" I trudged through the mud of the hill, the green tinted white metal attached to my boots utterly hidden by the brown and black slog.

"Is that really a-" The teen took a breath. "There was a necklace I saw back in the markets of Rovia during the christmas party. It looked like it was carved from shells. I'm sure there's some stats on it, but I wanted it more for the aesthetics. Red and white is good and all, but the blue theme of it contrasts really well with my hair."

"Guess I'll keep an eye out when I head back to my group." I licked the bottom of teeth, mentally chiding myself for not having a non-joking answer. "Truthfully, the most worthless trinket I wouldn't mind right now is an umbrella. I don't care if carrying it around would mean not having a free hand. this rain is starting to get on my nerves."

"Are you not much for rain?" The path Elder Aeren had told us to take went directly through a well travelled forest. Every so often the villages would send people out to care for the path, keeping debris off the roar and making sure the branches were turned away to allow for carts to pass.

"A little bit of rain is fine, or if the region needs it I don't mind a week or so, but there really isn't any need for over ten goddamn hours of rainfall that can't even be nice enough to decide on whether or not it should be a constant downpour or a simple shower." Daiquiri's beak bumped into my chin at that instant, the creature drawing a momentary amount of ire.

"Makes sense. But wasn't one of the things the NPC's back at the Wind Scavenger's Base mentioned was how the weather here was always inconsistent?"

"Bah, stop being so smart and rational and just let an old lady gripe." I muttered an appreciation for whatever being was favoring us. While in the real world I wouldn't have had much issue operating this long without a break, the undeniable fact was that fatigue was a concrete effect; stretching or taking short hour or less breaks could only do so much to reduce the sluggishness that built up over time. Eventually we found ourselves at the next village, the construction reflecting just how much importance they placed on the local resources. "Still no word from Kirito?"

"None." Even without opening to my friend's list, I knew that the boy was still alive. If something had happened to him, Asuna's constant checking of her interface would have notified her of his greyed out icon, and that wasn't even counting the icon in our upper left, informing us of his fluctuating health.

"I'm sure there's a reason for why he's gone silent." I quickly scanned the buildings, looking for the tell tale signs of a lit lantern hanging close to the front door. "Just chew him out later. For now we still need to work out way forward."

"Chew him out? Asasaki, I'm not his caretaker."

"Would you argue against me saying minder?" She hesitated at that, whatever line of thought I had created causing her to freeze in the rain. "Jeeze, you two really are something, you know that? Hurry up and get inside. Aeren wasn't joking when she mentioned the weather getting chillier the farther up we came." Like the rest of the elder's homes, this one was significantly furnished. While it wasn't quite lavish or over bearing, the sheer amount of fur rugs, decorated pottery doubling as historic records, and ornate tools proudly proclaimed the importance of their owner. "Asuna, going to give it to you straight." I cleared my throat loudly, the sound resonating through the house. "I'm honestly pretty tired right now. It's also pushing nine in the evening. With how dark it's getting, the weather, and the long day we've had, I highly suggest we turn in for the night and get an early start with the sun."

"That's not normally how Kirito and I do things," she murmured. "But since he's not answering any of my messages, I guess we'll do it your way." She shot me a conflicted look. From what I gathered it was a mixture of her usual annoyance towards me and a hint of gratitude; for what I could only guess at.

"I'll handle any of the conversations then. Feel free to start unwinding until we get a place to stay." Without an extra cloth to use as bedding, I settled for keeping Daiquiri in my lap, all my other equipment stored away in my inventory now that we were inside a house.

"You know normally visitors tend to announce themselves in a way that's more amicable than clearing their throats- oh. It's you."

I internally rolled my eyes at the less than friendly response, deigning to play along with the obvious irritated elder. "Yup. It's me. Hello, again."

* * *

 _Next chapter should come out Feb 23rd or Mar 2nd._


	25. Prominence

_I honestly felt really bad about this chapter. The moment I seperate from Kirito and Asuna I just felt such a huge relief; I'm honestly pushing it towards the idea that I just spent too long on the 6th floor and got burnt out by it._

* * *

I took a deep breath, movements dictated by my exhalations. This early in the morning and with their usual work unavaliable, only a few NPC's were outside completing simple chores. As much as I wished to have slept in, my body demanded a strict schedule and wouldn't let me so much as laze about without having completed a workout.

"Think you'll be able to help us out today, Dai?" The 'spirit' that had taken a liking to me chirped happily, moving its wings gingerly. Through only a single night's rest the feathered dragon had healed significantly, no longer needing the splint the elder of Mare Village had fashioned for him. "Just make sure you take it slow. You seem like you're pretty experienced, so make sure you listen to your body, alright? If worst comes to worst, don't be afraid to scamper up a tree until the coast is clear." The dragon gave off the impression of being deeply offended, tail agitatedly flicking side to side.

"Look, I just don't want you to end up becoming a liability again. I don't know why you've taken a liking to me, but I'm a fighter. That means I'm going head first into dangerous situations if you can't-" I let out a sigh, keeping my leg out to stabilize myself before retracting it. "I want it on the record, had you not been recently injured and were your pain tolerance completely unknown to me, I would totally smack you right now for that." I gently nudged the dragon off my head, helping it lounge across the back of my neck like a living boa.

With my modified morning routine completed, I headed back into the home of our reluctant host, padding across the flooring without a sound. Entirely worthy of being called a xenophobe, Elder Hayabusa had only given us a single room to rest in, that being a storage room that required some effort to make it habitable.

I crouched down and began prodding the gently snoring girl, my finger tapping various parts of her face twice before moving on to another region. "Asuna, wake up. We need to get started." My attempts continued on for perhaps a full minute before she garbled out a barely understandable mismash of sounds. "I don't care that you want five more minutes, I need a response from you before I leave." Eventually I resorted to pinching her nose closed and covering her mouth. Despite the lacking necessity for oxygen, most people in here still had their brains hardwired to craving air, and the sleeping girl was no different.

"Bwah!" She jolted up, splayed arms a clear expression of her emotions. "Asasaki, what was that for!?"

"It was a method of rousing sleeping people up, one that's much preferable to cold water, boot covered kicks, and stealing away blankets." I poked her forehead, pulling out a simple loaf of bread and sackful of salted meat. "It's not much, but it's breakfast. I'm sure if we meet up with Kirito he'll be able to procure something more tasteful, but the kind Elder doesn't seem willing to part with any of his stores." I huffed, instinctively flicking Daiquiri's forelimb when his tail whapped me in the cheek. "I'll be waiting outside. Try not to take too long, alright?"

A decent twenty minutes passed before the teen joined me, doing her best to chase away the last remnants of her slumber. "Please tell me there's a good reason we're up and about before seven?"

"We'll have a good twelve hours if not more of sunlight?" I pushed off the cobblestone wall, changing my pace every so often to help accommodate my quietly chirping passenger. "That and the skies are clear for the time being. I'd rather not deal with overcast as much as possible. I had enough of that yesterday."

"You really don't like rain, do you?"

"I swear I answered this question last night," I grumbled. "Anyway, our wayward companion sent a message while you were sleeping. He worked through the night to get his side of the quests done, and since he's so thoughtful he managed to grab enough supplies for the two of us to finish the quests once we head into his part of the mountain." Internally, I wondered whether or not the quests would even be around for us to accomplish on account of our seemingly special status as the pioneers of the sixth floor.

"How many hours of sleep is he working on?"

"According to him, he went to bed around one in the morning. He set an alarm for quarter past seven, so we'll meet him later on. Our goal right now is to get to the entrance of that temple lovely Hayabusa was talking about, working our way through whatever inhabitants have decided to set up shop within, and find out what's causing the blockage for the waterfalls they use for their mining."

"What do you have against that Elder anyway? You didn't seem to have issues with anybody else." She trailed off, eyes moving to the side in a manner I had associated with her recalling something.

"He's xenophobic and has way too much pride in his tribe's origins. That spells trouble no matter what way you look at it." The girl stopped talking after that, the only sounds accompanying us thereon out being her occasional yawning and the tapping of our sheathed weapons against our garb. "Try and wake up a little more, okay? Being on the main path we should be fine, but we still don't know exactly what's around here." With a nod, Asuna slapped her face twice, inhaling deeply before schooling her features into something more alert.

For having been stated as an important cultural site, the courtyard leading up to the large temple was extraordinarily reclaimed by nature. Once upon a time it must have been a wondrous sight to behold. Now moss and vines unabatedly grew upon the broken pillars and crumbling walls, perfect handholds for both myself and the nimble «Raucous Infiltrators» roaming the grounds. Threats eliminated, I cut my blade to the side, mechanically wiping its faces on the functionally worthless cleaning cloth over my right thigh armor before sheathing it. "Think Kirito will arrive before they respawn?"

"I'm not sure." Asuna gave her own post battle flourish, holding her sheath steady with her left hand as the blade slipped in. "It took us close to thirty minutes just to even find this place, and since he's on the other side of the mountain his path might be more difficult." The girl's shivers prompted me to create a fire in an alcove close to the entrance. Protected from the nipping wind that flew over the surrounding forwards and with a clear view of the grounds, the two of us waited for the beta tester to arrive.

When snoring once again commenced, I shook my head and stepped onto the cobblestone path, directing Daiquiri to show me what abilities he had. With his wing recovering but still functional, the feathered dragon was capable of temporary flight, having to rely mostly on his surprisingly agile footwork to traverse. While in the air, the pink and green dragon relied mostly on dive bomb tactics, using beak and claw to assail his targets. He also demonstrated a healing ability of some kind, though from what I could gather it seemed to be on a very long cooldown. "At least I know why your wing healed up so fast." Daiquiri trilled happily, leaping off the top of a pillar and gliding onto the face of another before scampering up it.

"Are you talking to yourself again?"

"No, I'm talking to the dragon I picked up. Asuna fell back asleep so I thought I should take the time to see what the 'Great Spirit' could do." I turned around and gave the noiret a smile, giving him a quick once over. "No changes to your armor, but it seems like your entire wardrobe's gotten a makeover." Where before Kirito's clothing seemed light but durable, his clothing now made him look every bit like a thickly bundled winter model. Where he a decade older, I would have shamelessly taken a picture of him for idle gossiping later on. "Any chance you brought enough to share with the rest of the class?"

"Don't worry, I managed to get a set for you and Asuna. Part of why I was up so late." The teen quickly initiated a trade with me, a set of soft blue clothing appearing in his window. "I don't exactly know what colors you like, so I thought I'd just go with something blue like your armor."

"Kirito, my armor has a green tint to it, not blue." I stared at him blankly, accepting the trade as an afterthought.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I was more tired than I thought when I placed the orders." He took a step back and looked at me intently. I in turn gave a small flourish to show off my new look. "That or it was a trick of the light. Right now it's clearly a green tint, but if I'm not paying attention the white of the metal makes it seem kind of blue."

"If you say so. Go ahead and wake Miss Shooting Star up, I'm going to see what sort of tricks I can cook up with Daiquiri here." Ten minutes later, the three of us stood before the looming doors of the temple, Kirito taking his usual spot in at the forefront of our group.

"The temple's supposed to be the remnants of an ancient civilization. Apparently it was the first surface living area once the Tarragon-Human treaty got finalized. With all ancient tech, let's assume there's going to be a puzzle of some kind waiting for us. Probably a bit of backtracking here and there, a very specific type of enemy or three, maybe even a mini-boss on the way out." Kirito laid a hand on the doors, the stone doors slowly shuddering outwards to reveal a dark passage.

Asuna gave a mix of a scoff and a sigh. "An instanced zone. How wonderful."

"Sounds like this place'll have a lot more Kilometers per Liter once the other swordsmen arrive." I pulled out one of my last remaining torches as a precaution, uncertain as to whether or not the depths would be lit. "Did those quests of yours give any more advice, Ki?"

"Only that the temple usually gets sealed to prevent any animals from going to where they shouldn't."

"Which means that if we're going to have to fight our way through it, there's probably going to be those gorillas and monkeys inside." Asuna drew her rapier, expressing a moment of despondence.

"Don't worry about it too much. You have two tanks to defend you. Worst case scenario, we run away to another hall to pot up before tackling the problem once more." I hit the button to ignite the light, holding it forth proudly. "Plus Daiquiri's able to fight now, so that's yet another more distraction." I grinned cheekily and stepped through the runic haze, internally cheering upon realizing the only source of light at the moment was from the entrance behind me. "Keep that heal ready once you can use it again, okay, Dai? We're pretty good with maintaining our health, but if any of us get hit hard I want you to do what you can, alright?" The dragon chirped in what felt like understanding, nuzzling against my cheek.

"As usual, I'll take point. Asasaki, stay in the middle and try to provide as much light as possible. Asuna, follow up on my targets when it's safe. If you can't find an opening, take down whatever you think you can handle."

"I'm not some weak newbie who doesn't know how to Switch, Kirito. I can fight alongside you. I've _been_ fighting alongside you." The boy in question gave a quick apology, not bothering to retract or modify his statement. In the silence that followed as we walked, I couldn't help but wonder if I had missed out on an argument at some point.

"Kind of weird how there isn't any lighting here, isn't it?" I stepped to the side, raising the torch to examine the reclaimed walls. Beneath the growth there didn't seem to be anything of importance, only the aged carvings of the late architects. "I mean, normally there's magically lit sconces to allow vision, but if somebody has to hold a light at any given time?"

Kirito turned around to look at me, purposely standing at the very edge of the lit region I provided. "I think I'll have to stop by Urbus after this. If I remember correctly, they sell lanterns that you can attach to your belt. It wouldn't be the best lighting, but it'd be something."

"One of the guys in Fūrinkazan is a cheapskate and found a shield back in Tolbana that's designed to carry a lantern alongside the normal protection. It's basically a modified gauntlet. Stats on it were worthless though, but I guess it's to trade off the functions." As we continued walking, I gestured towards a sunbeam peering through a gap in the ceiling. "Think that'll play a part in the future?" A sudden pressure against my head caused me to stumble a few steps to the side. Glaring at the now airborne feathered dragon, "Oi, what was-"

"Asasaki, cover!" Kirito and Asuna began running to the other side of the hall, Daiquiri flapping after them.

"What's going on?" I glanced forward and muttered a curse, diving into a roll. Behind me the thrown boulder cracked into the ground, rolling forward several feet before stopping against the wall. I sent the torch into my inventory decisively, mentally calculating the distance from each wall to the opening the projectile had come from. "Get ready to receive! Dai, follow me!" The tingling in my legs became stronger when I stepped onto the wall, my body reorienting for a proper landing.

On top of the roof, a single «Armored Behemoth» beat its chest proudly, the two stone plated monkeys beside it jumping up and down in a cutely menacing way. As one the duo scampered towards me, fangs bared as they leapt. The one on my right was grabbed mid air by an extended limb, the squeaking monster used to bat its companion away. With a quick spin, it was succinctly throw down through the hole, Kirito's voice faintly calling a command in response.

My body jerked to the side, a large rock the size of my head blurring past. "Would you quit throwing stuff?!" I leapt over the hole and drew my blade, rolling forward into a simple jab upon landing. The tip barely broke skin, and any thoughts of a follow up had to be discarded when the smacked Infiltrator repaid the debt by latching onto my skull and setting upon me with weak but rapid strikes. It screeched loudly before leaping off, an incredibly strong fist sending me rolling along the worked stone.

A curse leaving my lips, I leapt backwards onto my feet, green and blue tinted bubbles swiftly floating up around me in conjunction with my raising health bar. "Thanks, Dai. Hold back for now, only attack what's on me as a distraction, alright?" The dragon chirruped, moving higher into the air and circling around. "Round two, boys." I charged at the two modified animals, a side stepping dodge turned into a spinning slash that carried me behind the leader.

When I turned around, I was greeted by the sight of my dragon friend attaching onto the face of the Behemoth, beak slamming into its eyes multiple times before crawling onto its back and flying into the air. Instinctively I ran in, my lead leg chambering in and unleashing a system assisted sidekick and knocking the brute through the hole. The remaining monkey screamed and threw itself at me. Unable to dodge in mid air, I skewered it with my blade and hoisted it into the air, slamming my fist into its head over and over until it digitized.

"Dai, down!" I leapt towards the opening, free hand catching the edge and allowing me to swing my feet against the ceiling. Pushing off, I shot towards the floor, converting the momentum with a roll and launching onto the back of the roaring behemoth. «Tormenting Reaver» shlicked through sinew and plating, the beast twisting side to side in an attempt to throw me off.

"Asasaki, why did you-" Whatever Kirito was trying to said went unheard, the enraged beast plucking me off its back and slamming me into the wall like a child throwing a tantrum.

 _That was a mistake._ Locked against the floor by a Stun effect, I could only watch as the beast reared back and threw another bone shattering bunch, the plated fist pushing me deeper into the ground. Dual screams of righteous anger were let out, my teen companions setting into the beast with calculated abandon. The last hit on the monster came from Asuna, the opening for her «Oblique» provided by Daiquiri.

"Why are you so utterly stupid?!" The red head justifiably shrieked. She thrust a potion towards me, face set in a scowl so deep I briefly entertained the thought of teasing her about her locked expression.

"Seemed like-"

"A good idea at the time? You really need to stop having good ideas, Asasaki." Kirito crossed his arms, his frown a no less reprimanding mirror of Asuna's.

"Look, I'm alive, aren't I? We beat the monster, and all it cost was a single potion." I chugged the liquid down, uncomfortably used to the bitterness of the restorative.

"If a plan means somebody gets in the red, it's not a good plan." Asuna placed her fists on her hips, leaning forward into my personal space. "I don't care how used to you are with throwing yourself in harms way, every time that happens my heart stops. I'm way too young to have to worry about heart attacks, so you better quit it."

I grit back a sigh, taking the distraction provided by Daiquiri roosting upon my head to compose myself. "Yeah, sure. No more taking risky moves to provide openings, got it." Internally I complained about their behavior, only ceasing upon realizing I had been treating the game exactly like a game. In the real world, if any of my subordinates had been acting in the way I had I would have torn into them for the better part of a half hour, perhaps pushing into a full hour depending on how close to death they had gotten. One of the most important rules I had pressed onto my units at all times was to not be a hero; and attempting to be a hero was exactly what I had been doing.

The rest of the exploration went by fairly silently. It felt a little awkward to me, but my companions seemed more concerned with not getting ambushed by anything everytime we came across a hole in the roof. "Hey, so-"

"Asasaki, I swear to god. The next words out of your mouth better be about something inconsequential. Every time you speak it's always predictive about the situation, and those predictions usually turn out right."

"What, raising flags? Me? I would never."

Kirito raised a finger upon seeing Asuna's expression falter, entering his 'teacher' mode. "Raising flags means saying something and that exact thing either occurring or the reverse of it occurring, usually in movies, games, and other media. If I were to talk about how I want to survive through this so I can finally see my hypothetical wife and kids at home, if I were to wind up dead it could be said that I rose a death flag. Asasaki's predictions in this case are honestly on point though; I'm not as precise as her conclusions but everytime she points something out I usually have some concern about the same thing."

"Just look at it this way, Miss Comet. Me pointing stuff out, like that section up ahead that's clearly less dusty than everything else, gives you a split second-" I chuckled, golf clapping when Asuna jerked away from the obvious trap. "Eventually you learn to pay attention to the inconsistencies like that. Normal gaming might not be as dramatic as traps in real life, but fall prey to something enough times and eventually you learn to either expect them in advance or deal with the patterns as they come."

"We're here." Kirito strode forward, giving the vast room a once over before swapping out weapons. The shadows failing to match up with the circular openings towards the ceilings indicated an overhang of some sort, likely for protection against rainfall. There was a bit of a timeless quality to the room. Even with watermarks and other clear natural features marking the walls, something about the area made it feel like we were peeking into a world long past.

Without explaining, the noiret stepped onto the platform in the center and plunged the sword into the pedestal. There was an audible click, and suddenly the lines on the platform I had thought to be mere decoration glew an aged white; at the same time, the previously empty sconces scattered throughout the room lit up with a soft blue flame. After a quick examination of the platform, I surmised our situation as utter copyright infringement.

"At this rate, that might as well be your catch phrase." Asuna stared at me with a calculative gaze. After a moment she shook her head, joining Kirito at the front of the room.

"Whether or not this room-"

"Temple," I interjected. "Though at this point it might better to call it a shrine." I thumbed towards the sword, its current position qualifying as 'enshrined'.

"Whatever it is, it's obvious we're going to have to clear out each of these paths." Kirito pointed at each of the three hallways placed throughout the room. Once upon a time they must have been colored, but time had since worn away the pigments and turned everything into the same clay white shade.

With a start, I stepped back onto the dias, crouching down to more carefully observe the sheath. "Hey, Kii? A question. What sort of conversation happened when you got this sword?"

"Something along the lines of how it might prove useful against hostile Tarragon's. I didn't really get much more than that."

I huffed and fingered the three indents, referencing them to the three pathways. "Dungeons here don't usually make you backtrack, right?" I pulled open my quest log, looking over the notes regarding Elder Aeren's tasks. Ignoring my companion's queries, I continued looking between the three subjects, shaking my head upon arriving to a conclusion. "Remember what I said about those stones being magical?" Swiftly overriding Asuna's protests, "I'm pretty sure those stones Aeren had us retrieve are related to this place. Maybe a 'spare key', so to speak." I prodded the sheath with my foot. "Three stones, three slots. If inserting the sword caused a change, it's safe to say that those stones will cause a change as well."

The girl scoffed and rolled her eyes. "We're seriously going to have to gather those stones again? Ugh, whatever. Kirito, I don't particularly care for another gathering quest, so let's just shoot through these, alright?"

"Er, right." Kirito gave a short burst of nervous laughter, reflexively raising his hands at Asuna's irritated tone. "Asasaki, is there anything else you can figure out from this room?"

"Remind me to ask you about that sword later on." I stepped over to the left wall, eyeing the designs. "The craftsmen here were pretty detailed with their work. The material's nice and durable too." I moved to each of the walls, double checking just in case.

"I don't understand, why aren't we just picking a hall and working through them?"

"Asasaki's probably referencing a game series called The Legend of Zelda. One of their most popular installations had a temple very similar to this one. A sword embedded in the ground, a stone slab that needed three orbs to open a door. You're right in that we could probably just work our way through everything, but it'd be nice to have some information beforehand on what we should expect."

"Courage, Power, Wisdom," I stated, starting from the left, I pointed to the halls in a counterclockwise motion. "The first has something to deal with distance, whether metaphorical or otherwise, the center has a lot of boxes and 'spot the difference', and the right has to deal with judgement."

"That's actually pretty-" Kirito stepped towards the wall I had designated as Courage, pausing after a moment. "I don't know how you managed to figure that out. It all just looks like designs to me." When he stepped back towards the dias as I suggested, he coughed in realization. "Anyway, do you think these rooms are meant to be dealt with by a single person?"

I hummed, considering what he meant by that. "Possibly. It would make sense. But let's move as a group for this one. If it turns out only one of us needs to deal with it, the other two can always head back. Beside, we're in a party. If something comes up we can always just send off a message."

Acknowledging my words, the teen continued leading, our footsteps echoing down the hall. The path led slightly downwards, eventually becoming steep enough to change to stairs. When we finally stopped descending, we found ourselves in a large chamber. Nature had grown to the point where it was hard to tell what was the original design and what was merely a happy accident.

"Kids who do parkour would have a field day with this place," I muttered.

Beside me, Kirito nodded, patting me on the back happily. "We'll leave this to you then. You have both «Sprint» and «Acrobatics», so I'm sure you can handle it."

"Dai, go with them. I should be fine by myself. Besides, that 'Power' hall might need your help." With quick offerings of good luck, two teens and a dragon started back the way we came, leaving me all alone in the literal jungle gym.

I stared out at the room, arms crossed as I took in the repeating background music. There was very much a sense of time standing still, percussion and woodwinds combining vapidly. Only a few measures in I turned the setting completely down, the ambience succeeded by a howling wind coming from the holes in the ceiling. "Time to get to work."

Making my way across the elevated platforms was surprisingly challenging. The designers, whether from the story of the game or the architects of historical binary, were cunning in their placement of useable terrain. A handful of times I had used the system assist to cross a wall or surviving flat topped pillar, only to slip at a section that somehow maintained zero grip throughout the decades.

It was almost exactly as I reached the halfway point that long vines were thrown down the various holes in the ceiling, numerous stone plated monkeys sliding down and attempting to work their way through the puzzle in whatever manner possible. Despite having previously fought them before, they seemed to have no interest in my appearance, only reacting with angry shouts or harmless attacks to ward me off.

"20 cor says they attack me if I find that stone." Musings aside, there was still the difficulty of the last portion of the course. Should we fall, the vines that had been tossed down had become checkpoints of sorts as well as simple cheats to swing from platform to platform, but at the moment neither myself nor the five luckiest Infiltrators were able to figure out a way across.

 _This is better than nothing, I suppose._ I leapt back several pillars, spinning around on a single foot and drawing my blade. Instantly all eyes turned to me, limbs twitching in anticipation of what I was going to do. Fear at the unfavorable odds quashed, I forced the magic of the system into my limbs, propelling my body forward with every step. On the last pillar, I ducked underneath outstreched limbs and shrieks, launching forward with all the strength I could muster. Halfway through the jump, I unleashed the gathered energy for (Uppercut), physics momentarially ignored and pulling me upwards. The combined forces allowed me to land at the second to last row, the outermost portions of the pillar crumbling under my weight as I pressed against the wall.

When I turned around to observe the situation, every single one of the corrupted monkeys began hopping up and down, a few oddly hurrying up the vines they had used to drop in. Their actions didn't make much sense until I managed to traverse two more pillars towards the center of the room. One of the vines that was approximately three-fourths the height of the room had replaced the one resting close to my previous hurdle. From it, the four monkeys that had left the hall were forming a chain, the mass of bodies slowly adding more and more length.

"You are so totally unfair!" I yelled, gripping tightly to an obelisk. The previous one I had leapt to, like others before it, had crumpled at the lightest touch. Before I would have accepted my fate and slid to the ground, but with the swarm of enemies working together I dare not accept such a set back. By the time I managed to get close to the end, a cheering, black furred monkey flew past me, glee on its face as it oriented its body to land feet first.

Without hesitation I fired off a Sprint aided «Reaver», kicking back the monster upon recovery. As much as I wished to enjoy the copper green statue of a dragon, the shrieks and screeches behind me promised nothing but pain if I overstayed my welcome. With a few half hearted curses at my pitiful strength stat, I managed to procure the green orb from the grasp of the statue, immediately plotting my course back through the horde.

As useful as utilizing the platforms would have been, the amount of planning I would have needed to access each one without stacking abilities required far more time than I had. Thusly, I had settled for only taking a few steps along the wall before kicking off and launching myself at an open space on the floor. Though the orb was no longer on my person, tucked away safely in my inventory, the monkeys didn't seem to care and maliciously charged at me, bodies throwing themselves at me without any care for precision. After all, with the ability to form a rug or curtain wherever they went, eventually one portion would cover the stain.

I twirled around and threw back one of the infiltrators, utilizing the brief reprieve to step onto the broken stump of a pillar. Using Acrobatics more than Sprint, I pushed off one pillar to ascend to another, the system propelling me upward in a manner I could only replicate in my dreams. At the top of the pillar, small stones began impacting my back, a redundant incentive to rush the last of the way into the hallway. Against my expectations, none of the unnatural animals followed my through.

"I'm beginning to agree with Asuna's stance of you being a bad luck charm if that's how you're leaving that room." Kirito looked up from whatever screen he was working on. In the background, Asuna had finally managed to convince Daiquiri to play with her, the two running (in the case of Daiquiri, flying) around in a game of tag.

"Exposed buildings tend to do that. All sorts of looters and other hoodlums want to get in on the action." At Kirito's gesture, I inserted the last orb into the slot. The last lines of the platform lit up with a bright green light, the missing portion of the two staircases rising from the ground and completing the path. "Couldn't you two have just leapt up that?"

"Tried that. The slightest pressure caused it to fall back into the ground for a couple seconds." Kirito shrugged apathetically, idly calling for Asuna as we began moving up. "I'm more of a computer gamer than a console. What do you expect from here?"

"Could be anything." I gazed up at the roof of the temple, wondering what purpose the troughs at the edge of this floor could had served aside from water collection. "A stone guardian, a golem of some kind, a Fallen Elf, an enhanced version of the Behemoths or Infiltrators. There's a lot of stuff going on here and but not much in the way of long term foreshadowing. Not really, anyway."

As we approached the stone doors, Daiquiri flew out of Asuna's arms and onto my back, clicking angrily. "Whatever it is, let's just say it's not going to be fun." Kirito and I opened the door in unison, weapons drawn as we rushed into the room. What greeted us was a massive scaled chicken, a mad gleam in its eyes as its head slowly rose.

Asuna immediately squeaked, swift steps bringing her behind the male swordsman. "Kirito, plan please!"

"Run!" Helpless against the charge, the three of us seperated. The beak of the cockatrice slammed into the hard wall, a glaring «Immortal Object» screen popping. Without waiting for any orders, I leapt onto the back of the Tarragon, plunging my sword along its spine and running forward. Deftly I crossed the red line partially up its neck, maneuvering with the sudden buck to land on the floor.

"Oi, Children, plan!" I called out, motioning for Daiquiri to move to a flanking position.

"Asuna, stay back and look for the weak points, I'll keep up the damage. Asasaki! Do what you can!"

Without explaining herself, Asuna suddenly jolted out through the doors. As much as I wanted to call out her name, Kirito's onslaught had forced my to run over and catch Daiquiri's launched form, courtesy of a conditional knock back.

 _Put a little trust in your subordinates. You might find they'll surprise you._

I let out a soft breath at the memory, guiding my dragon companion to assist Kirito. The three of us did what we could to whittle away the bipedal dragon's health. Where my fighting style appeared geared towards utilizing my opponent's body against them, Kirito's was a brute force flurry of slides, ducks, and side steps.

Rolling to the side, I sprung up and tore into the neck of «Vern, Broken Cockatrice Lord». Above me, Daiquiri latched onto the side of Vern's head, beak turning the whites of its eye into a crackling red mess of data. Another AoE roar was unleashing, the momentum from my recovery only stopping when I nearly slid out the door. The pommel of a sword was suddenly thrust in front of my face, Asuna gesturing frantically for me to take it. "Key Item." Immediately understanding, I swapped for the weapon and charged back in, body twisting furiously to deal as many attacks as possible.

The instant I noticed the tensing animation for another screech begin, I jammed the blade into the cockatrice' upper leg, bracing myself for the incoming strike. Upon recovering, "Ki, Left leg! Go all out!"

With Daiquiri continuing to distract the beast with mere pinpricks from beak and claws, Kirito's limbs flashed out, the simple almost ivory blade gouging chunks of health with every system aided strike. Soon enough the scaled beast fell, the digitization process starting from the outer portions and working its way in before shattering resolutely.

I held an arm out for Daiquiri to land out, the feathered dragon requesting praise before resting along my shoulders. "That was some good thinking on your part, Asuna." The teen grinned, explaining her realization to Kirito. "By the way, how many scales did you guys get?" My finger hovered over the spoils of war. Even for a quest boss, possibly even a mini-boss, fourteen «Ancient Scales» was a lot for a single monster to drop.

Kirito casually let the forged dragon fang hand by his side, acting as if his usual post fight motions hadn't resulted in sliding the blade into a non-existent sheath. "Fifteen over here."

"Thirteen for me." Asuna glanced to the side nervously. After a moment, I felt it best to attribute her behavior to a sense of uselessness. Whether through fear, lack of information, or seeing that Kirito, Daiquiri, and I had a system, the rapier user had never truly entered battle, only stabbing out the first few times we managed to get Vern to smash into a wall.

I could only shake my head in disappointment. Perhaps gathered together, the thirty two pieces might be able to be forged into useful armor combined with some ores or bars, but I didn't feel comfortable asking the two for their shares, even if I was fully willing to compensate them for it. "What's behind door number one, Kirito?" Regardless of still being in the green, I chugged down a potion as I neared the now accessible door on the opposite side of the room. It was entirely possibly, nay, certain, that there would be a fight with a Fallen Elf when we arrived at the end.

"The resting place of some of the Tarragon leaders. The villagers here regard every single one of the dragons beyond this door as spirits of the highest order." The black haired swordsmen nodded towards Daiquiri. "If it wasn't for how his kind tend to wander the mountain relatively often, I'd say that the game only let you meet him because of some special condition or something."

"I doubt we're that special to warrant a custom quest line, even if we are the first people here." I glanced to the side, pulling my coat a little tighter to ward off the cold. "Gar'veni notwithstanding."

"Hey, look! Snow!" Asuna danced ahead several feet, throwing her hands out to catch the falling flakes. "I guess we're pretty high up now, huh?"

"It's also the weather. We were a lot higher back in the Wind region, but it was warmer there." I stepped over a thin stream of still flowing water, tapping my chin in thought. "Over there it was more muggy than the rain here. Wait, that sounds wrong." I stepped over another stream, lip twitching when Kirito's boots splashed up ahead. "The weather there was more tropical than here. The sun beat on you strongly when it was available, and when the clouds were around there was a hint of the humidity sticking to you. At least there was a bunch of wind from the local valleys that kept us cool, otherwise it'd be exactly like a rainforest. Over here, it feels more like we've had a few days of rain in a row. Nice, cool, and refreshing, even with all the trees around."

"Weather aside, you should come take a look at this." The redhead tugged me over to the edge of the path, pointing down at a collection of water caused by several stones collected at the exit. "Think you can get down there safely? I'm pretty sure that's the source of the blockage Elder Ryu wanted us to clear."

"That," I trailed off hesitantly. The water wasn't frozen, but the layer of snow resting on the banks were rather dissuading. "You know when you exhale you can see your breath?"

"Is that a request for me to do it?" Kirito eyed me, taking a partial step towards the slick drop.

"No, I can do it. Just," I handed the teen a lit torch, sending my armor and outer clothing to my inventory. "I hate polar bear swims." Clad only in my undergarments, I dove into the pool, a mantra of how I was only living in a virtual realm and not reality my only defense against the breathtaking chill of the water. It took a handful of tries and numerous resurfacings, but eventually I succeeded in safely clearing the blockage, a pair of unashamedly dry hands pulling me onto the now exposed shore. "Th- thanks." I immediately began putting my clothing back on. As if sensing my troubles, Daiquiri glided down and snuck into my coat, chittering concernedly.

Asuna's head peaked over the edge of the short cliff. Gazing up at her, I noticed the path Kirito had taken to come down. "While you two are warming back up, would you mind telling me what's up with this music?"

Kirito's tilted head prompted me to change my muted setting. After a moment we both gave our input on how the distorted song, the notes feeling as if they were shifted down a key.

"A Minor key then." The girl frowned, briefly disappearing before popping back up from a standing position. "If it feels distorted to you guys, and since I'm getting a sense of wrongness from it, it has to be a Minor. Major's are supposed to feel light and happy."

"Is everything studies with you?" Though my teeth had stopped chattering, I still felt unwilling to move. I unashamedly watched Kirito scale the cliff, half heartedly attempting his path and failing to take more than three handholds before sliding down.

Talking over Kirito's concerned remarks towards me, "Since we don't have textbooks here, the best I can do is recall all the studies I can and try to apply it everywhere. I might not learn anything new, but at least I can stay on top of everything." Asuna snorted, giving Kirito a side eye. "But if you think I'm bad, you should sit in on some of our meals or whenever we go shopping together. Kirito thinks he's being secretive about it, but he has yet to realize that his random mumblings are totally about volume, mass, and the per unit values of health restored, damage per strike compared to the average repair cost, and other terminology."

"Can you maybe sound a little less frustrated about me paying attention to how far each cor goes?" Student Kirito's defense (read: whinings) was utterly demolished in the face of Disciplinarian Asuna's scoldings. Remedial lessons are highly suggested.

I coughed, shushing my thoughts on their interaction. Feeling I could no longer use the dissapaiting numbness as an excuse, I clambered up the rocks, patting Daiquiri on the head in appreciation for his efforts. Continuing up the trail led us a single time around the mountain. This high up, we were able to see a good portion of the other four regions despite the haze of falling snow.

Across the inactive volcano in the center ringed by a plateau was the Wind region, the temple in the sky we had departed from vaguely visible even from here. To our left, the Fire region sprawled out before us, rivers of lava bending throughout blackened land. To the right, a sea of sand undulated. At the farthest reaches of it a layered cliff housed the lone Tower in the area, its presence daring all who looked at it to attempt to cross its unforgiving landscape.

Asuna stepped beside me, arms folded under her chest. "It's so weird, isn't it? Four distinct areas all within a ten kilometer radius. I mean, is this sort of thing even possible in reality?"

I nodded minutely, the stillness in the air only accentuated by the corrupted timelessness whispering at the edges of my senses. "Have I mentioned that I'm really not looking forward to what's ahead? I really hope I have."

"You haven't said anything like that so far, Asasaki. Now come on, you two. The sooner we get done here, the quicker we can head out to the next region, where it's warmed." Kirito crossed his arms at us, looking out at the horizon one last time before continuing the trek upwards.

When we finally reached the top, we were greeted by three shallow pools of water holding a fairly large plinth in their centers positioned in the cardinal directions with the entrance pointing north. What was surprising was the two thickly bundled humanoids tending to an unmoving oriental dragon in the eastern pool. In the west pool, a similar looking serpent lay still, its scales the same empty gray color as the Behemoths and Infiltrators.

The moment I placed the purple crystals protruding from the latter's body I drew my blade, motioning for my companions to do the same. "Kirito, Asuna, those two are bad news. Whatever they're doing, we need to stop them."

"On the contrary, Swordsmen, it would be in your best interest to help us." The thinner of the two stepped away from the pseudo shrine, their boots sloshing through the water. Despite his coy smile, his striking purple eyes made it impossible for me to trust him. "You have questions. I have answers." The fallen elf smiled a tad wider, the minute change in his features reminding me of a glib salesman.

"What are you doing here?" Kirito demanded.

"Quick and concise. How boorish. Very well, if you truly must know, we are conducting experiments on the so called spirits of this region." The system refused to identify the elf, only a horrendous green question mark slowly twirling above his head. "Being older than ourselves, we thought it a worthwhile endeavor to see how they would react to refined crystals. Unfortunately, it seems their biology is not suited for such things, though they have shown quite the interesting traits if I do say so myself." The elf eyed my blade, meeting my gaze for a moment before increasing his smile by a hair.

"What sort of experiments are you doing?" Cue Asuna, who seemed to have not been paying attention, though it was more likely she spoke improperly rather than truly spaced out.

"What is that human phrase I have heard centuries ago? Ah, yes. Curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought it back," I countered. Though my weapon was now sheathed to comply with the seemingly peaceful air, I still kept my hand wrapped around its hilt, ready to pull it out at a moment's notice.

The elf chuckled. "How quaint. But as much as I wish I could share, I cannot tell more. I am already breaking a splendor of rules speaking to you in this manner. But perhaps," The elf slightly looked away, the three of us undoubtedly in his peripheral. "Evolution occurs given enough time. Sometimes the survivors become apparent over millenia, other times less than a century."

I barely restrained myself from snarling, making the connection from the perhaps dead dragon and the modified animals we had come across.

The quest giver's companion stepped over, the red particles on his gloves slowly fading away. "The work is done. We should return tomorrow for the results."

"Thank you. Excuse us, Swordsmen." The two stepped away, stopping to request that we do nothing to the dragons on the east and west pillars.

A few seconds after they left I whirled onto Kirito, barely contained rage tainting my features. "And tell me why we didn't immediately attack them?"

"He was a quest giver. Even if he is a Fallen Elf, the system doesn't just assign that sort of status without a reason."

"And haven't you ever heard of a corrupt politician? They might entice you with honeyed words, but when it comes time to deliver all they offer is vinegar if not worse." I scowled, ignoring Daiquiri's furious chitterings.

"Hey, don't get mad at me. I just took the best path that I thought we should take. If you really felt that strongly about it, why didn't you just act instead of waiting for permission? You're an adult, aren't you?"

"Uh, guys?"

"I may be an adult, but you're the more experienced one here in terms of gaming. Everything I know is from old school arcade stuff and puzzle based RPG's. If you didn't want us doing something, I assume it's because you have a plan." Daiquiri slipped out of my coat at that moment, his cries my only signal of his location.

"Isn't there a pretty common English saying for that sort of thing? 'When you assume you make an Ass out of You and Me'."

"Guys, could you please stop fighting real quick?"

"We're not fighting, we're very heatedly discussing-" I trailed off, silently drawing my blade. "Oi, Kirito. Tell me you have a plan better than 'run' and 'hit it 'til it dies'."

Kirito shakily drew his blade, taking a stance beside me."How about improvise?"

"Was afraid you'd say that." The corrupted serpent I had thought dead roared, the sound forcing all four of us to flinch back. "I'll draw its attention! You two take what openings you can! Daiquiri, stay back for healing!"

«Karushin, Corrupted Ancestral Tarragon of Strength» blurred through the air, its form slinking between me and Asuna. In its wake the air bit into my exposed skin, the sensation very similar to that of road burn.

"It has a damaging Aura!" Asuna shouted, running to the side. "Dodge ahead of time!" Kirito mirrored her actions, the three of us forming the points of an equilateral triangle.

"Oi! Bastard! Look at this nice, tasty snack just offering itself up to you! Come and get it, bitch!" My left hand snapped out, a tiny pebble thrown with one of the basic throwing skills that every player had. The strike had the intended effect, Karushin's gaze swiveling onto me. The transformed dragon tensed. The moment it twitched forward I leapt to the side, my sword braced outward at chest level. As expected, the metal tore along the dragon's entire side, the damage it dealt to me returned in triplicate. "Kirito, go!"

The teen Sprinted forward, setting upon the grounded serpent with a few system aided strikes before preemptively backing off. "Five second recovery! Aura radius assumed 1.5 meters!" Asuna repositioned herself, eyeing the dragon intensely. When I had originally asked her why she shouted things like that, she stated that Kirito had told her to keep track of damage, skills used, and timings to help expand her mechanical knowledge. For the instances where going in and dealing damage wouldn't be favorable, informing her allies of such things would be more than a worthwhile trade.

The false air in my lungs were expelled in a single breath, a clawed hand suddenly pulling me along the rock wall and grinding my health away. The moment I unceremoniously landed in one of the pools a curtain of green and blue bubbles flowed up around me, my health increasing with the ascending effects. "The fuck was that?!" I leapt onto my feet and splashed through the chilling water, moving back into position.

"Language!" Asuna pulled out a potion in her free hand as a precaution, mouth fervently muttering something inaudible. "Unknown conditions for Grapple, attack lasted four seconds! Unknown follow up!"

"Cut back on the useless chatter! Asasaki, take the sword! I'll draw aggro." Kirito tossed the now unequipped «Paradox of Peace» over, drawing his usual weapon from his back. A stone of his own made the dragon turn its ascent downward, the beast spiralling down before shooting forward. A hasty Block was forced into a Parry, his weapon causing sparks as every scale and crystal shard ground against the metal.

"Draw aggro, he said. Take the sword, he said!" I leapt onto the dragon's former resting place, my tingling body falling flush with the stone against my own will. My dropping health bar informed me of what happened, a hazy warning barely reaching my ears through the piercing roar. Ignoring both the cry and soft whispers of my innermost self, I took a step and flipped backwards, the rushing body of Karushin jerking me forward. I wrapped my legs around the serpent's body, plunging the dragon forged sword in with as much strength as I could muster.

The Ancient Tarragon shrieked and crashed into the ground. Upon recovering I ran up to its head and began hacking away, offering no quarter to the health bar-less creature. With a jerk and a roar, the corrupted being sent me flying into another pool of water. The significantly lower health bars of my companions notified me that they had experienced the same strike, the open window having suddenly been cut short.

"Damage Counter AoE present!" Asuna called out. "Catalyst amounts unknown!"

"If you don't know information, there's no need to say so!"

I kip'd forward onto my feet, suppressing a shudder from my soaked clothing. "Doesn't seem like it has an enrage mechanic," I muttered. "Is this just a DPS rush?" I rolled to the side to avoid another charge, downing a potion now that I had gone under fifty percent. "Hang on for three minutes! I don't want to risk getting too low against this thing!" All three of us began attacking when I next brought Karushin down, retreating at Kirito's call.

With another roar, ribbons of visible energy whipped all around, a mind bogglingly complex symbol appearing underneath the dragon. Despite our best attempts, each of us were tagged by one of the ribbons, a status icon appearing over our ribbons upon contact. Listed at 0 stacks, every time a stack was applied it would cause our movement and attack speed to be reduced by 1%. Upon reaching 20 and for every new stack thereafter, there would be a chance that we would suffer Paralysis.

For some twenty five minutes we hesitantly continued this pseudo bullfight. Only upon my accidental discovery that standing in Karushin's vacated pool would remove stacks did we start fighting with zeal. Unfortunately the water was a double edged sword; stand too long in it and we would end up with the stars of a hypothermia debuff. When the beast was finally killed, all three of us were well under 60% and suffering from both the lingering effects of «Blighted Aura» and «Hypothermia». We decided to take care of the former first. Once each stack was removed, Asuna told Kirito to step out of the water and quickly requip his gear while we did the same.

"Bless you for realizing that equipment status can get refreshed by putting it into our inventory." I adjusted my coat for Daiquiri to squirm into, treating his compliant form like a large plush.

The redhead in question kicked at a piece of the now slain dragon's plinth, the object having been destroyed during one of its forced descents. "You can thank Kirito for that. It was a trick they figured out back in the beta."

"I honestly forgot about it until Asuna complained about her soaked clothes yesterday." The noiret looked over the slumbering Ancient Dragons, spending much more time on the remaining corrupted one. "Think we should kill it while it's still insensate?"

"Should I be concerned that you're casually talking about killing something in its sleep?" I ignored the hypocritical words flowing from my mouth, countering the internal reproach with concerns regarding Kirito's slowly corroding youth. "But yes, we should." Daiquiri grunted, jerking head convincing me to turn around. "Hey, guys? I don't mean to alarm you, but there's another dragon awake and staring at us."

" _Om-nenna on am, onok amay on eu in aw ukaknek ag nesami-etta atihsed."_ I blinked and looked back at my companions. Equally confused faces responded to mine, and the almost omnipresent voice spoke once more.

" _How disappointing. It seems the ancient tongue is not known to you. No matter. I am not so prideful so as to force you children to adjust to my customs._ " Daiquiri struggled out of my grip, shooting forward and landing upon the dragon's place of rest. " _It is good to see that the relations between our children and humans are still strong. You were wise to bring your ally along."_ The dragon lifted its head and looked across the way, dipping slightly when it realized the state of its companions. " _Swordsmen, I am still weary from my slumber. If you would please put my brother of his misery before he awakens."_ «Garoshi, Ancestral Tarragon of Knowledge» then began ignoring us, conversing with Daiquiri in the odd language it first began using.

"Kirito, you have a stronger strength stat than me and can actually use one handed sword skill. You mind doing the honors?" Without a word the teen took the blade back and shattered the corrupted dragon's matrix, the resulting pop up notifying me that I had accumulated enough experience for another level up.

" _A century passes and yet your method of growth still remains the same. At the very least, you three seem to show signs of training and not pure enhancements."_ The dragon rose slightly, appearing very much like the statue I had stolen the orb from. " _Swordsmen, why are you here and not the descendants of my pact keepers?"_

Kirito coughed and stepped forward. "We require the blessing of the skies. The acccords of old are being forgotten across the entire region and we have been tasked to restore them."

" _By slaying my brethren and their kin? How very much like your kind. But I suppose being the last survivor of my bloodline it falls to me to uphold the ancient promises. Show me your wings then. And be quick about it, if you will. This mount is no longer safe for me if what this one has to say means anything."_

When Garoshi saw our gliders, its eyes narrowed in a very good replica of a sneer. Without verbalizing its thoughts, three translucent pale blue orbs shot out of its mouth and impacted our gliders. Each of them briefly shimmered as if they were about to be destroyed, but at the last moment the fragmentation ceased.

" _There. Their essences have been imbued with my energy. In the words of your kind, they shall truly embody the word 'Glide'."_ Garoshi slow lifted off its pedestal, floating through the air before stopping inches away from my face. " _Child. The smell of your training grounds lingers on you. You should reactivate your ancient technology as soon as possible. Your kind are far too worthless without them."_

Daiquiri chirped and flew into my chest, nuzzling against my cheek. Soon after, the dragon flew off and landed at the nape of Garoshi's head, tucking into the scruff of the larger dragon's fur. " _Finish your tasks here before moving to the other areas. Help yourselves to the scales in our pools. I doubt there are any experienced enough yet to utilize them, but perhaps somewhere, eventually, you can craft armor from them."_ Without another word, the remaining ancient dragon ascended into the air, deceptively slow despite the ground it covered with every passing second.

Asuna turned away from the retreating dragons and coughed."Kirito, what quest were you doing anyway? Asasaki and I had 'Mine Restoration."

"Ah, I was supposed to check on the status of the temple guardian." Kirito coughed. "That quest actually gave me a few dozen scales, cockatrice though and not the «Ancestral Scales» laying in the pools. Once Asasaki's finished collecting stuff we can head back down. Speaking of which," Kirito stepped into the pool and stopped beside me, dropping scale after scale directly into his waiting inventory window like myself. "How much stuff can you carry, anyway? Do you have inventory expansion or something?"

"I'm cheap and replacing all the empty space in my guild inventory. I'm sure the guys will appreciate the materials." With a decent amount collected, perhaps enough for two or three full sets of armor, I moved out of the water and refreshed my equipment. In the back of my mind I felt a longing emptiness. After a moment of thought I realized that Daiquiri had indeed been doing something more than acting like a very friendly pet. "Shall we get going?"

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

I rested my head on my palm, staring out at the forests below. Not too long ago the rain had stopped, and with the clearing skies I was able to fully appreciate the landscape. Asuna had gone with Kirito to finalize the «Residual Testament» quest, promising to share in full detail the backstory behind the weaponized dragon fang. In my other hand the holder of my attention sat, the message void of its usual typographical faces.

#Come back to Rovia. Group meeting at Mitsui's.#

Subsequent messages to all seven of my thankfully living guild mates failed to elicit a response even after ten minutes of waiting. With no other information to work on and with my teenage companions busy talking inside the elder's home, all I could do was uselessly muse on what could have occured.

"Are the trees really that interesting?"

I leaned back to look at Asuna, giving an impish smile before rolling onto my front. "It was more the flocks of birds that flew from tree to tree every so often. You usually don't see birds even if you can hear them, so it was a welcome change of pace."

"Back in the beta, if you had ranged weaponry you could try and snipe one of them down. It was pretty tricky since they had great senses, but their meat was usually of a higher quality than any local monsters. Pretty much any peaceful animal that you had to go out of your way for had a better taste once cooked." Kirito smiled briefly, shaking the memories away. "But we're all wrapped up here. Our next goal is to head a little up the mountain for a better jumping point into the next region. There's a bunch of drafts there we can use to get there safely, but because of how hot it gets it'll be in our best interests to change to something less insulated."

"About that," I dismissed the message and stood, dusting my clothing off. "I actually need to head back to the fourth floor. Something came up with the guild." I gave an apologetic half shrug. "It was nice hanging with you guys while I could though."

"Same here." Kirito stepped forward and extended a hand, laughing a bit nervously at some realization. "It might be best for you to travel with us though a bit more though. I'm sure you could get back to the wind region from here, but without any drafts to take advantage of you might end up too low and have to walk all the way back to the Scavenger's Base."

"If you have time, could you stop by the Karluin markets and deliver something for me?" Without missing a beat Asuna sent over several weapons and materials that we had gotten along with a notable amount of cor. "I have a deal with somebody who maintains my equipment. Cheaper prices in exchange for bringing her supplies to mess around with."

I hummed in appreciation. "It's nice hearing that other people have started working so closely with those in production. Skills slots being such a limited thing, the merchants can't exactly get the highest quality materials safely." I took note of the items she had given me, moving the unique ones to a seperate box for the time being.

"Her name is Lisbeth. Last I remember she should be in the eastern district of the city. Sh should be set up in one of the old stalls instead of using the usual carpets. Brown hair, yellow outfit. You'd probably miss her in a crowd. Oh, she has a sign set up on the counter so you can't miss that."

"I'll make sure she gets them." The trek up to the launch point passed by quietly. A few monsters had wandered onto our path, but between the three of us they fell quietly.

"According to Argo, the thermals are mostly wherever the lava flows are. I don't know how strong they are, but hopefully you'll be able to find an entry point somewhere." Kirito pulled out his glider, taking a step closer to the edge. "It's a shame you won't be able to help us out with the rest of the floor. I think you'd have really enjoyed the rest of the quest line here."

"Probably everything except for that sandy region. I've had enough of that stuff for a few lifetimes." My own glider appeared in a flurry of particles, the frame braced along my forearm and head. "You two be safe, alright? It's only been two days, but we went through a lot. I'm sure it's going to take a bit to readjust to a two man instead of three."

"We'll be fine. We're used to this sort of thing, just like you're used to putting yourself into dangerous situations to complete the goal." Asuna smiled cheerfully. If she meant any insult, it was well hidden.

The three of us stood a bit awkwardly for a few seconds. I was certain their thoughts were mirroring mine; that of the other party being fine but an instinctive fear of not meeting again. With a quick breath I shoved those thoughts away, merely raising my free hand in farewell before leaping off the cliff.

Compared to my previous flight, this one was significantly more stable. On top of the lessened vibration from the replaced wood, Garoshi's blessing had made the wind less biting. The goggles were still required from the passing wind, but my clothes and exposed skin felt more like I was in a constant but pleasant breeze instead of an impending dust storm.

"Basically looks like a highway," I murmured. The veins of molten rock below lacked the whites of headlights, but the yellows and oranges could easily pass as tail lights. In silence I bobbed up and down the air, taking advantage of a patch of updrafts while I scouted for an entry into the valleys. On my second pass I noticed a section of the rock face I could land on and thusly scale. It took some time, but after half an hour of arduous climbing I finally arrived at the top.

For a moment I merely stared at the horizons. On one side lay a network of canyons happily sustaining vegetation. On the other, a floor of blackened earth and charcoaled remains housed lava flows, sparse regions of remaining combustables set ablaze by the heat. As I continued comparing the opposing regions, I realized that the ripples in the air were not simply the result of the heat. Instead, a barely noticeable curtain of arcane script lazily danced down. "Guess this place was supposed to be bigger, wherever it came from."

Realizing how much time I had wasted just standing around, I resummoned my glider and leapt down, taking advantage of the much more visually appealing whirlwinds to regain altitude. Eventually I landed on the alcove I had napped in the previous morning, a group of other players excitedly pointed at me before moving across the bridge. A few short leaps later, I realized that a rather significant amount of players had started entering the sixth floor.

The majority of them wore the colors of the Liberation Squad and Dragon Brigade, but mixed among the armored forces were the usual non-combatants eager to explore the newest region. Idly, I realized that I stood out as much as them with my uniquely hued armored.

"Oi! Asasaki!" A thick arm towered over the crowds, its owner beaming before maneuvering through the crowd with the same arm guiding the way. "How've you been, man? Haven't seen hide nor hair of you since we fought Bezalel."

As per usual, Agil's staggering clap on my back sent me forward a few feet, my fellow veteran apologizing once he realized I wasn't strong enough yet to handle his greeting. "I've been doing alright. Spent most of the past few days hanging out with Kirito and Asuna." I let the two handed axe user lead me through the streets, trusting that he knew more about the carved out city than I did.

"Those two? That's a little surprising. Have a falling out with the rest of Fūrinkazan or something?" Without much fuss, Agil motioned for me to head into the cafe, pointing out a free table on the veranda.

"They went off into the western plains of the fourth floor while we were dealing with that golem boss. The mountain pass is a pretty annoying place to go through even as a group, and since I was all by my lonesome on the other side of the mountain they decided to just let me do my own thing while they continued exploring. Apparently something happened since Klein wanted me to return for a group meeting today." I took a seat on the other side of the simple wooden table, recognizing a few meals being served around us as non-tarragonian lizard meat.

Without hesitation, "Is everything alright?"

"I'm sure something happened." I gave a small shrug, thanking the NPC with an extra few cor on the table before sipping at the tea. "Everybody's names are still lit up if that's what you're asking. Klein wasn't too forthcoming with the reason. My guess is that they're travelling back through the plains and can't find a moment to rest."

"Wait hold on a minute, isn't that pass supposed to be filled to the brim with sahuagin? I thought Argo's book said that only a group of at least twelve people should make the attempt through."

"This was only a few days ago, plus, Argo's books are more recommendations than end all, be all. Besides, all of our equipment and levels were high enough that we didn't really need to worry about being overwhelmed. Plus, we had Harry as our strategan. Between him and our usual groupings, nothing too troubling happened." I looked to the side, gazing at the passing crowds. It would forever amaze me how vibrant each portal city became after each opening. There was still a significant portion of the population that stuck to the first and second floor, but with each defeated boss that number grew smaller. "Speaking about people, I don't suppose you happen to know a person named 'Lisbeth', right?"

"Can't say I do." The former military journalist happily shoveled another spoonful of cake into his mouth, grinning at the taste. "Why, somebody hire you to play messenger?"

"Delivery, actually. Asuna wants me to give her some supplies. In exchange, the next time the two meet Asuna gets to have a discount on maintenance and any new equipment this 'Lisbeth' happens to have."

"That's a darn shame, you having a person you need to sell those mats to. The guys and I are starting to dabble in selling items ourselves. It's mostly materials we collect on our own, but a few people have been willing to trade stuff to us in exchange for cor. Mostly the players who haven't gotten into a guild. They don't exactly have a use for the more exotic stuff."

"Seems like you guys are making a decent profit if that third slice means anything." I slowly curled my pointer away, mirroring his amused grin at the aforementioned confectionary.

"It's not as much as we could be making, but with our prices we definitely have an edge on the other traders." The man bellowed, his laughter momentarially catching the attention of everybody near us. "We're not as consistent as we'd like, but we've already gotten a few customers each who's asked us to message them whenever we set up shop."

"I'll keep that in mind next time I want to off load stuff." Another sip. "Wish I could stay and talk more, but I really ought to head back to Rovia."

"Hey, no worries. We can always just set up a date in the future to sit down and talk. S'always a pleasure speaking English again." Agil raised his mug to me, the man taking a hearty swig from it as I turned to leave.

Thankfully, Agil had brought us to a place fairly close to an NPC seller. News of the floor's opening must have still been slow to pass; when I purchased a guide for the sixth floor I had the privilege of paying two hundred cor, a necessary requirement to help keep the books publishing.

Zealous as always, even though the public had been here half a day at most, there was already a full two pages dedicated to the quests that could be completed within the city alone. The most important piece of info to me was the copiable map at the back of the book disguised pamphlet. Once that was acquired, my progress towards the warp gate was only slowed by the realization that both Gar'veni and Garoshi had made a place for themselves in the ruined alcoves around the plaza. Players surrounded them in groups, and wave after wave they trotted off. As I near the portal the ancient dragon suddenly met my gaze, its tail suddenly moving to cover the tiny pink and green quadruped resting on its shoulder.

For a moment my vision went dark. The next, I was greeted by the clay white of Rovia. The warm sun along with the soft music made me close my eyes, a longing desire to nap blanketing over me. I didn't open my eyes again until another pair of footsteps landed beside me, a party cheerily passing through and heading towards the markets.

In silence I walked through the streets. Only two floors behind the front lines, the people here were those who had fully dived into the concept of being stuck in a game world. They still took precautions like everybody else, but it was their expressions that were the most radically different. There was still a sense of joy, of hope. When parties left the city walls it was with smiles and laughter of spending a night on the town, not the illusory bravado of the walking dead.

A few minutes later I found myself standing outside the door to the Tolbanian's temporary residence, hand hovering a scant few inches from the wood. For an instant my breath caught in my throat, my mind supplying the image of my sister happily welcoming my surprise visit. _But that will never happen. Not for a long time._

The door opened. My words as well as my partially raised arm were stolen away by the tugging hand. Off balanced and more than confused by the glee I saw, I had no defense against the head that snuck between my legs.

"Our Princess is back!" Issin's hands cautiously latched onto my lower thighs, helping me stay balanced upon his shoulders. A chorus of joyous greetings were raised, my fellow squad- no, guildmates all raising their drinks towards me.

"What's the occasion?" I gently tapped Issin's head, request going unnoticed.

"The dungeon was harder than we expected." Klein gave me a false smile, a damningly familiar hardness in his eyes. "We figured we'd let loose with a small party once we got back."

A quick headcount made me jerk forward, my unwanted mount stumbling slightly. "Where are the goblins?"

"They're out in the eastern forests with the elves. All the buildings here don't really agree with them."

Fed up with the situation, I freed myself from Issin's hold and flipped backwards into a crouch. "I'll admit, I don't think I've ever had a Japanese style party. Going out for drinks or a night on the town, sure. But a party?" With every word that flowed from my mouth, regret built up. Two pairs of eyes turned scandalous, their hands resting on my shoulders and guiding me towards the kitchen.

Beaming, Klein and Issin spoke in unison, the rest of our guild shaking their heads in pity. "Asasaki, you've never lived." Every single flat surface not taken by a plate of food was holding a cup of liquid. Suddenly I realized I the duo had set up a frat party and could only weep in gratitude that the effects of alcohol were nonexistent in this world.

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"How did I know that you were the one I'd find up here?"

I leaned my head back, the upside down view of a highly amused Klein filling my vision. "How did you know that you'd find me up here?"

"Ahp! I said that you were the one up here, not that I had a hunch you were up here." Klein joined me at the roof's edge, the same building that I had met Kibaou on back during the christmas party.

"You're getting semantical on me and I'm not sure if I'm just missing out because of an interpretation or if you actually have a point." I pulled my hood off, the gentle wind blowing my for once unpinned bangs around.

"There were rumours about a dark figure jumping around the rooftops floating around the bars. I figured as an upstanding model citizen and probably one of the highest levels in the region I should check it out."

"Didn't we just get done with a party like three hours ago?" I shot him a glare, relenting with a grunt of annoyance at his placating gestures.

"I'm a guild leader and I talk to Argo. There's people I'm supposed to keep in contact with and they just so happen to be underage and keep placebo'ing themselves into drunken stupors." Klein leaned forward as he spoke, a hand gesturing to emphasize his feelings. "That party was more for everybody else, you know." The red head huffed and propped his arms behind him. "After your comment the other day, I cut back on my indulgence. You're right about that, you know. How habits forming here might carry over once we get out. I don't want to get out of recovery and immediately want to hit up a bar every other night just because I'm used to the taste."

"How bad was it?" I muttered. When he made a questioning sound I cleared my throat and repeated my question, sounding far more clinical than I intended.

"Pretty bad. I know you're used to it, but despite our numerical advantage it wasn't uncommon for three or more of us to go under 20% every fight. Considering people normally call 30% a time to retreat, it was a pretty harrowing experience." Klein laughed listlessly, the action lacking his normal facial accompaniments. "Asasaki, the guys and I..." the curved sword user stared at me for several seconds, mouth twitching to form unspoken syllables. "We're thinking of quitting for a while."

I raised a single arcing brow, amused at the insinuation of being able to 'leave' our situation.

"Despite our level advantage, despite going in with two to one odds almost every single time, we basically got creamed each fight. If it wasn't Harry being halved before we got a single kill, it was Issin or Kuni getting their weapons pulled away by the sahuagin's tridents. Even the information on criticals and vitals that Choryu got didn't help us out. They were just too fast for us."

"Doesn't that mean heading back at a higher level?" I watched a cloaked figure that moved far too much like a certain information broker leap across the waterways, slinking between buildings and out of sight.

"If this wasn't a death game, sure. What I mean is," Klein coughed. With a deep breath, he pushed his chest out, putting on an air of authority that felt so right yet so wrong. "Fūrinkazan as a group is temporarily retreating from the front lines. We will be progressing through the floors at our own pace, but for some time we will be focusing on our basics. A house is no good if the foundation is unstable. We will be working closely with our mentor, Asasaki, in order to become capable fighters that everyone can depend on."

I clapped a few times, moving to face him completely. "Good speech. A shame you forgot to ask me about this." The moment he expressed a hint of confusion I waved my hand in my usual dismissive manner. "I'm helping you guys of course. What kind of teammate would be if I let you die to lack of training? I'm just poking fun at you is all I'm saying."

"You know, normally you'd pick a line out to needle me about or crack a joke about me acting like a middle schooler when I gave that speech. Are you alright?" Klein leaned forward into my personal space, laying the back of his hand against my forehead. "You've been a little on edge since you came back. Actually, now that I think about it, you've been kind of different since that massa- fight, on the third floor."

"You can't get sick in here, Klein. Status conditions from weather notwithstanding." I gently pushed him back with a finger, intently opening up from my previously curled position. "Let's just say that I had a revelation too. You guys became aware of your morality, I became aware of my suicidal tendencies."

"What-"

"You really can't say that me taking a major attack almost every significant fight is normal, right? I'm a squishy compared to you guys. I've been taking point in my groupings while in light metal armor while everybody else has either heavy armor or a shield. The fact is, I've been blatantly disregarding my own personal safety just because I figure I can take a few hits to deal worse." I shook my head. "You know that very first time I got stabbed? I expected to die, Klein. I should have died." I crossed my arms, nails biting into my palms. "I'm pretty sure something changed in my that day. I should have been hospitalized." I stared out at the horizon, shadowed plains turning into bipolar, invasive, unforgiving dunes. "Should have spent week if not months in recovery. And yet not an hour later I'm walking out and about doing more fighting or acting as if I'm on a camping trip with some friends instead of wincing at every motion because I should be freaking out about a goddamn piece of pipe sticking through my chest like I'm-" I flinched and pulled my legs back in, desperately willing the memory away.

"Hey, Dawn." Klein snapped his fingers, resting a hand on my shoulder. "You here, now. You're here with me, Ryoutaro. We're on the fourth floor of Aincrad, the portal city of Rovia. We just got done with a party with the rest of the guild, remember?"

I focused on his voice, closing my eyes and drowning out everything else. Maybe at my insistence, the man started talking about his real life. About a crush he had, about a few dates he went on. About the few parties he and his friends threw together at a karaoke place once they became of age and the various drinking games they picked up.

"And the last I heard of him, his daughter's supposedly been taking to jumping over a tree he planted in his backyard!"

I took another breath, slowly loosening up. "Thanks, Klein."

"Don't worry about it," he returned. "We're teammates. That means we look out for each other. We might not have the same relationship as Kunimitzz and Dynamm or Issin and Harry, but I still care for you."

I let out a soft laugh, a glimmer of mirth blossoming at an arguable 'third' confession.

Klein leapt to his feet and offered me a hand. "Hey, why don't we head down to the first floor? We went through a lot of supplies during the party. Actually, now that I think about it-" He cleared his throat, cutting off whatever he wanted to say. "Maybe we can hunt some boars or wolves. Who knows? Maybe you'll finally be able to one shot things like you said you wanted."

I stared at his hand, recognizing the distraction for what it was. "I think I like that, Klein." I reached up and grasped his hand, the man easily pulling me to my feet. "I think I'd like that."

* * *

 _At this point I'm going to be taking a break from writing the core of Duality. For a couple weeks I'm going to try and go back from the start and apply those edits I always talked about as well as write an interlude or two (one of which might be pure fun stuff by way of noncanon omakes/extras)._

 _Regardless of what kind of progress I do though, the next proper chapter will come out_ _ **May 4th**_ _._


	26. Interlude 2

AN: There was supposed to be another section here but upon reflection I decided to try and make it it's own grouping. I'm not sure if it'll be its own chapter or if it'll be posted as a whole different story.

In regards to the editing of older chapters, I was surprised by how much I miss during my read throughs. Perhaps I'm better off using a read back program or something alongside my standard mental reviews.

My IRL schedule's changed now so I'm not sure what my update patterns are going to be like. For the time being I'm going to do a two week schedule though it may change to a three week with that extra one being using for editing old chapters and personal stuff.

* * *

" **Some of my happiest memories from that time were just sitting around meal times and sharing stories with everybody. Hey, did I ever tell you about the time I watched my squad have a dodgeball match with ping pong balls? That shit stung, and I was just acting as a ref."**

[1st Floor, Black Iron City. December 28th, 2022; Mid-morning]

"I really do wish there was more I could do for you, Asasaki."

"Think nothing of it." I sipped at my tea, basking in the focusing bitterness of the Slumbering Lily leaves. "Not enough people are paying attention to the state of our society like you are. I can gather items on my own and I know how to ration out my supplies; parting with some cor to help maintain the shelter is essentially a tax I'm more than happy to pay."

"I only wish more of those on the front line shared your thoughts. Too many of them come by here offering the children promises of a better quality of life." Sasha's grip on her cup tightened. "After the first dozen were convinced away I managed to teach the kids better but even so."

"It's okay. You did what you could. It was still early on and none of us could have expected the situation to turn out the way it did." I reached over and laid a hand over hers. Every single visit had had this conversation appear in one form or another. Truth be told, one of the of the black marks against the majority of the guilds and clearing groups was their abductions disguised as recruitment drives.

In the early days death tolls were the result of misinformation and overconfidence. The second wave of deaths that only numbered in the lower hundreds instead of the initial two thousand or so resulted from guilds trying to power level their premier members. With only one or two experienced players in a party, they set out to the third and fourth floors to amass levels, proper combat experience being nothing more than a mere afterthought.

'There's safety in numbers!' they all cried. 'Don't worry, us Front Liners will protect you!'. For the first few days everything went as expected. But once that confidence became misplaced, one in every four newcomers became slated for death in the ensuing week. It was written off as training accidents and the survivors were hailed as 'heroes' but the original front liners knew better. "They aren't still trying to convince the kids, right?"

"No. Not as dramatically as before." The former university student's gaze turned to the window, her expression becoming more somber. "I don't dare send the few that still visit away. The children look up to them far too much. I know they're being nice and looking for a place to unwind, but I-" her breathing hitched. "I just keep expecting to find a bed empty one night and when I look to the Memorial Stone the next I'll find their name crossed out."

"Sasha," I stared into my cup, composing my thoughts. "It's wrong of me to say this, and I truly am sorry, but perhaps you should consider asking them to teach the willing children." My hand twitched, ready to forestall a protest that never came. "We've already been here a good three months and we're not even up to floor ten, the very floor that had been reached in a single floor of the month long beta. How long should we expect this to take? A year? Two? Three?"

I shook my head, throwing off the minute sense of depression that came from the thought of being trapped that long. "What I'm trying to say is, keeping teaching them all you can, but you should also consider learning the basics of combat yourself or having people you trust teach the kids that express interest in actually playing this 'game' we're stuck in how to survive." I steepled my hands, expression darkening at the idea of more child soldiers. "I hate that as much as you, but they're still kids. Kids without much in the way of distractions. They know that they could play at being fighters and that's a really enticing prospect."

"Asasaki, I hear your proposal and I must respectfully decline. At least for now. I'll," the woman paused, indecision splattered across her face. "I'll keep an eye on the kids like you said. Perhaps in a year's time or so if the situation changes, where more people are willing to watch over them where I can't, I'll start asking for helpers. But for now, it's far too soon."

I smiled softly. "That's all I ask. We can't shelter them forever. Innocence has to be broken at some point. Better under controlled circumstances than in a situation we don't know about like from a dare." I downed the remainder of my drink before standing, materializing a few extra sacks of food I had gathered and pushing them towards Sasha. "Beef and fish from the upper floors. I'm sure constant pork is getting kind of tiring for you guys."

"We're getting some chicken too from travellers that come back from Tolbana. And there's also the mushrooms and other plants that come from the nearby forests. A shame that nobody really goes into the eastern swamplands. I hear the food you can acquire from there is quite delicious."

"The problem with that place is there's some monsters that will steal items right off your person. If you don't kill them in time you lose the items entirely. On top of that, most people here are still city folk." I gave a one shoulder shrug. "Maneuvering around a swamp isn't exactly in most people's interests if they could instead run around woods or rolling plains."

The moment Sasha opened the door to the courtyard a chorus of laughter and conversation greeted me. While too expensive purchase, the rental the former school teacher had on the church had allowed her several options, the least of which included sound proofing the building when everything was closed.

"Ms. Sasha, Ms. Sasha! Look!" A young girl in her early teens I had seen from time to time ran up to us, proudly holding a crown of flowers in her hands.

"That's such a beautiful crown, Silica!" Sasha smiled and knelt down slightly, taking the offered ornament in her hands. After a moment she handed it back, the mirth and delight from the two resonating within me and causing a smile of my own to appear. "Why don't you give that to our guest? I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

The so called Silica furled her brow at me, an adorably cute pout failing to show any sign of consternation. "Here you go, Miss. I made it all on my own!" I took the woven yellow and pink flowers, an airy laugh escaping through my lips.

"Thank you. It's wonderful." I set it on my head, adjusting it slightly so it would work more as a tiara than a crown. Without another word the girl ran off, joining two boys in a game of tag. After a moment I gave an annoyed tisk, simply giving Sasha a vague measurement of my height versus the girl's by way of a level hand. Amidst the brunette's giggles, "How'd she manage this anyway? I thought this world didn't allow for that sort of thing. Just about everything had to be done by menus instead of by hand."

"Only certain things." The woman stepped closer to me and plucked a single flower out, turning it in her fingers briefly before tucking it into her hair. "All the kids past the age of twelve have a small dagger that they use for training whenever visitors decide to teach something. The plants they gather around here are like the fruits that you can collect around the town, though once cut their durability makes it so they fade within an hour or two at best." Sasha folded her hands in front of her, her appearance making me long for a phone or camera to record the rather relaxing scene.

"Klein was extremely surprised the first time I opened a door by hand instead of by menu," I mused. "I think I'll be heading out now. Send me a message if you ever need anything, alright? I travel through the area enough that it's no skin off my back to lend a hand."

"I will. Now go. There are adults that need stern words of teaching that only you can give."

"And there are children that need gentle words of guidance." I gave a two finger salute as I stepped away, commiting the sounds of laughter to memory.

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[3rd Floor, Forest Elf Base Camp. December 28th, 2022; Evening]

"Knock, knock! Anybody home?" I lifted the flap into the goblin's assigned tent slightly, only moving in when I heard the beckoning grunts of the one the goblins."Hey! Tuukaan, right?" I shot the lightly armored goblin finger guns, hoping that they didn't take offense to either the gesture or my obvious glance at the sling at his waist. "How have you guys been? We don't really get to spend all that much time together.

"This Tuukaan has been doing well." The goblin rose from his bed and gave a partial bow, right hand sliding up and crossing over his chest.

"Your speech has been improving," I noted. "Still a little archaic, but the others have been doing great in helping you modernize."

"Swordsmen Klein and his companions have been helping This Ol'dekhaan learn both tactics and language of Honored Swordsmen. This Tuukaan is grateful for their help."

I cleared my throat, wondering how it was that despite everything I've gone through I was faltering at a simple absolution. "Listen, about our first meeting a couple days ago,"

 _ **Oh, stop mucking about and just do it.**_

"I sincerely apologize for how I treated you. My mindset was a misaligned at the time and it was wrong of me to be that violent."

The battle scarred goblin in the back of the tent suddenly rose to a sitting position, his left fist casually digging into the ground. "This Rhaagaar thinks Swordsmen Asasaki have no reason to apologize. Ol'dekhaan Tuukaan was enemy at time. This Ol'dekhaan would expect no less in combat."

"Ol'dekhaan Rhaagaar is right. Swordsmen Asasaki is Fighter, Swordsmen Asasaki was protecting Tribe. This Tuukaan already forgive."

 _Wow. There's a burst of emotions I haven't felt in a while._ I coughed and straightened my back, putting on a practiced smile that showed none of the joyous tears internally falling. "Thank you, Tuukaan, Rhaagaar." I gave a fairly low bow, holding it for a second before rising. "If there's ever anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to let me know."

"Swordsman Dynamm say you have special training."

I jumped slightly, snapping my head to the side and staring at the lithe goblin that had snuck up behind me. "Something like that, compared to the others anyway."

"This Tarthuul thinks you should teach us. Swordsmen Asasaki fights differently from others. Instincts much stronger, too."

I stared at Tarthuul for a few seconds, slowly removing my hand from a holstered weapon that wasn't there. "When we get a chance, sure." _They're friends, calm down._ "But do me a favor and don't sneak up on me like that again? It makes me too jumpy."

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[3rd Floor, impromptu camp north of Zumfut. December 29th, 2022; Evening]

"Is this your first time seeing death, Swordsmen Klein?" The leader of our humans allies looked up from the fire, his arm finally ceasing the repetitive motions of sharpening a sword that was more destroying the edge than repairing it.

"Yes. No." His face formed a myriad of expressions, finally hiding them with a sigh that said everything he couldn't voice. "Only a few times before." Slowly, as if testing every word that came out before committing, he continued. "The first few times I guess you could say were directly our fault. No, that's wrong." He shook his head, sheathing the probably damaged blade and squirreling away the sharpening stone to whatever space the so called 'inventory' spell used.

"We were still new at the time. Dozens if not hundreds of Swordsmen were going places they shouldn't have been going and our group wanted to do what we could to save them from their mistakes." He shrugged clinically. "The next time was fairly recent. Maybe a month ago at most. Around fifty or so swordsmen, our group included, went to challenge the commander hiding away in the First Floor Tow- er, Pillar. A handful of people were almost lost but we had enough support that they could step back and take a breather until they were ready again."

The man took a deep breath, holding it until he seemed comically ready to explode from the sheer exertion. "Pwah! Right at the end though, our leader at the time took point for the next charge. The information we had was incorrect, and he paid the price. Since then, we've had a lot of close calls, mainly from Asasaki, but today was the worst."

I stilled my tongue. All of the swordsmen that had accompanied us were formidable in their own rights, but except for that woman they were naught but children playing pretend. They could act and scream all they wanted, but they were still trainees. Going onto the field in such a state was the same as resting in the den of a wild beast; pointless and suicidal.

"There were just- just so many bodies." The man shivered, rubbing his arms before consciously folding them in his lap. "You know normally they just disappear into the air, but this time- this time so many of them lingered. Just slowly fading away in a perversion of the normal route." He laughed brokenly, combing his fingers through his bandana restrained hair. "What kind of gods would play such a cruel joke? Forcing us to see something so against the natural order."

My lips pressed tightly. I dared not voice my agreement, but for the past handful of decades I had harbored the same thoughts. Day in and day out, stuck in a land separated from our kin, a false sky holding a false sun. What gods could play such a cruel joke, treating us as mere playthings, like ants under a polished lens?

"I'm sorry, Iseyer. That's incredibly insensitive of me. How about you? How are you holding up?"

"I shall be fine within a year. Tonight though, I grieve within my heart. By the morrow, the thoughts shall only surface when I have time. For now, I must train and plan. I am an elf after all. Unlike you humans who live so shortly, I have many centuries before me to take revenge."

"That's too true, Iseyer." The man nodded like a sage pleased by his disciple. "Just don't be like our Little Princess and bottle everything up too much, alright? I know we're still strangers, but we fought together. That makes us comrades. And comrades need to stick together. So if it's just a meal, a chat, or even a drink, don't feel like you have to shoulder everything yourself. We're all survivors of the same event."

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[5th Floor, Karluin Castle Ruins. December 30th, 2022; Late Evening]

"Choryu, I mean this more as a warning about Argo than anything, but make sure you think twice about anything you say to her. She's an information broker with fairly loose morals. Even if you pay her not to give away a piece of information she'll let people know who might be interested that there's information somebody tried to keep silent, and from there she'll turn it into a bidding war until somebody folds earning cor every time somebody ups the price."

The former office worker stared at me wide eyed, composing himself with a forced cough. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind then. Essentially we're speaking with somebody from management who we have to pay lip service to."

"Worse." I shivered, recalling one of the few times Asasaki had dragged me along to the player run markets. "We're dealing with a store keeper of thirty years in a region where haggling is allowed." I cleared my throat, making sure to enunciate after the last incident of several embarrassing repetitions. "Teleport: Karluin." The warp gate recognized my voice command and flashed a light shade of blue, the so called containment ring rotating around without pause. "I'm really not joking. It might be for the best if you let me do most of the talking. Argo's a little friendly to me, but I'm pretty sure that it's more in a 'lost puppy' kind of way."

Were it still daytime, the ruins of the fifth floor would have looked as if they belonged in a movie or game where the area was bathed in an eternal twilight caused by a curse of some kind. Luckily for us, the only supernatural stuff was various undead in the surrounding regions. As it was, the only light we had this evening was the campfires and torches around the city, the simulated moon on the ceiling providing only a thin sliver of light.

"This better be good, KleiN. I'm dipping into my beauty sleep for thiS."

My foot shifted beside my right, my body instinctively moving into Asasaki's 'Attention' position at the Rat's irked tone. "How does a full map of the «Forest of Wavering Mist» among other things sound?"

"It sounds like you're getting a deduction in payment for keeping me uP." Argo turned around, all but her face hidden behind the hooded full body coat she wore. "You're a good customer, KleiN. What else are you packinG?"

I brought out the selection of pages from Choryu's bestiary, waving them around like a dog treat. "Detailed information from a handful of monsters on the third floor, specifically the main forest, the northern region of the floor, the Tower itself, and a dungeon that was recently discovered northwest of Zumfut itself." I handed the papers over, watching her carefully for a reaction about the last eighth of the notes.

"You know I don't approve of personal notes on the papers, KleiN." Argo stepped away from the railing and motioned for us to follow, her tan coat billowing behind her. "I don't suppose either of you have AcrobaticS?" When both of us denied so, the broker scoffed and led us around the edge of the courtyard and through a series of halls and stairways. "Can you still function as one of my providerS?"

"I- what?"

"Can you still function as one of my providerS?" She repeated. "I told you I don't approve of personal notes on official papers, yet you hand me several sheets with an English message on theM." It was hard to tell in the dim lighting, but if Asasaki's usual changes in posture meant anything then Argo was narrowing her eyes. "I'll ask again, and no lying to mE. I can tell when people are doing thaT. Can you still function as one of my providerS?"

"We can, Miss Argo." Choryu stepped forward, a confidence he only ever showed on the battlefield or when talking about his hobbies.

"GooD. You're providing a valuable service, both to those that come after us and when you go to the front lineS. Making sure you're operating with a good state of mind is important, no matter how stupid Lind actS." The discussion soon turned to business, the three of us haggling over the pricing. Normally I would have settled for whatever base price Argo gave me, but considering how much effort we had to put in for the information regarding the Fallen Elves I felt no shame in trying to finesse some extra cor.

"About those Elves," I finalized the trade, satisfied with the extra 12% we had gotten. "This information is completely up to you as to whether or not you want to publicize it, but there's another quest line going on. One that's turning this game from a 15 and up rating to a full out 18 and over."

"I'm going to need extra copies of those sullied sheets, KleiN." Argo didn't look at us as she spoke, instead staring out at the ruined stone and brick buildings. "Consider the information private for noW. Yours is the only situation we've heard about, barring Kirito and Asuna's adventures with the elf KizmeL."

Choryu began finding the relevant pages, working his interface while I continued. "I really don't know what's the trigger for this questline. The only thing that comes to mind is the Contract skill we have but that makes no sense for such an obscure thing to be the reason."

Argo merely coughed and held out a hand palm up, giving me an unapologetic grin.

"Alright, what is it that you're asking for this time?"

"This 'Contract' skilL. Is this something you're looking to hide or shall I put this on the market freelY?"

"If you really want to try and sell this out, I guess you could." I shook my head, wondering why I even expected her to play nice. "Look, the issue here is is that we really don't know what's going on with this skill. As far as we know, we're the only people who have it and we've been getting access to things that have been trying for lack of a better word." I looked away, the white lie feeling distasteful as it slipped through my teeth.

"If that's how you feel about it, I suppose I could hold back on sharing thiS. You boys have been doing me a lot of service with your information gatherinG." Argo folded her hands behind her back in an astonishingly familiar manner, the action completed by the joking lilt in her voice only tarnished by her usual nasal inflection. "But I expect to have regular updates on thiS! Every day the beta testers are reporting more and more material that they've never seen beforE. What you boys are discovering might just be a heads up for anything in the futurE."

"You think what we're coming across is just a tutorial then?" Choryu folded his arms, his face scrunching up slightly like Harry and I had just put him on the spot for a battle plan.

"Mm, tutorial might be too forgiving of a worD. Perhaps teasing would better serve our purposeS." The brunette turned away from the plant covered railing, her expression shadowed by the length of her hood. "All of you need to be much more careful, especially in regards to AsasakI. I've no doubt you can handle yourselves, but what you're getting into," Argo slapped the back of her hand against the leaflets. "This isn't a gamE. More so than usuaL." Without another word the information broker slinked off, her form disappearing into the night.

"I expected much worse."

I moved towards the railing overlooking the eastern portion of the city, wondering why my gut was telling me that I had just missed something important. "It might just be because you were with me. Like I said, I have a bit of a good relation with Argo. I basically bugged her every day when this whole thing first started out and I'm pretty sure that every single description she uses for her 'Don't be like Idiot' in her guidebooks is supposed to be a reference towards me. From what I hear from the others, she's a lot less lenient and more probing in her conversations." I took in a deep breath, holding it for some four seconds before expelling it slowly. "This place is pretty nice looking. I'm sure Asahi and the goblins will love this region once we get up here."

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[1st Floor, Forests North of Tolbana. January 1st, 2023; Early Morning]

"I am pleased to see you've been keeping up with your skills. We shall make a fine shinobi from you yet."

I snorted, grabbing onto a branch and swinging myself forward. "Please, this? This isn't some kind of ninjitsu or whatever. This is just skill and training. You're free to call it whatever you want, but I'm just going to call it my arsenal." A cold tinted tingle coursed through my body, the helmetless set of Frostborn armor granting me bonuses to my Sprint and Acrobatics.

"It's ninjitsu! You were taught these by ninjas and thus they are ninjitsu!"

I flipped mid leap and stuck my tongue out at Shen's nephew, the childish teen returning the gesture with a comically angered expression. "And you're stuck in middle school! It's time to grow up, kid!" A loud snap rung out beside me. I looked to my side and laughed, ducking beneath Kotaru's usual half hourly, mostly half hearted attempt at striking my head.

"Peace, Sora. Miss Asasaki is free to do with our teachings as she wishes. She is our friend, after all."

"Hear that, Runt? I'm his friend. That means I get to hang out with him while he goes drinking and talk about our past exploits while you're stuck at home playing games with the rest of your shrimpy little mates." I cackled and whirled through a gap between branches, landing in a roll and launching myself through the air once again.

"You have picked up our teachings surprisingly well, Lady Asasaki." Taro moved beside me, a respectable distance maintained between the two of us.

"Using «Sprint» has a full body tingle that's surprisingly similar to that of «Acrobatics». The starting pose is a little weird, but now that I've made the connection it's a lot easier. I guess it's like," I yelped as a root I thought I'd be able to clear snagged my foot, quickly recovering and straining past the essential light jog we were using to catch up. "It's like roller skating your whole childhood and then being introduced to ice skating. The concepts are almost the same, but there's still a transitional period."

"Admirable recover, Miss Asasaki. Though you must improve your situational awareness if you intend to utilize these abilities in standard combat."

I held back my retort and merely snorted, respecting the old man far too much to let my usual snark be voiced. "Don't have to tell me twice. It's going to take at least a week for me to get completely used to these sensations."

A part of me felt bad for forcing everybody to my pace. The saying 'a unit is only as strong as their weakest unit' held true for us; with my being the newest user of the Sprint ability, the Fūma nin weren't able to utilize the full bursts of speed they were capable of, interspacing the downtime between each practicing allotment with normal running. It was a somewhat mentally taxing exercise, but only in the sense that you had to be aware of your own unique speed as well as keeping in mind the limits of everyone around you.

From his usual spot at Shen's right, Taro suddenly spoke up. "Keep practicing this on your own. I know your guild of Fūrinkazan are more front liners than our own brand of subtlety but having a metaphorical ace in the hole would be beneficial for them."

The thirteen of us stopped at crest of the eastern hill looking over Tolbana, the just rising sun breaching above the horizon and chasing away the chill of the night. "Mind if I ask you guys a question?"

"Do remember that we are not required to answer. We may have a good relation with each other, but we are still a guild."

I blinked at Shen's rather stiff response, unsure whether he was reminding me that we were not of the same group or if it was nothing more than a casual admonition. "Fair enough, I suppose. But anyway, I've been hearing some stuff about you guys poaching monsters from players across the various floors. What's that all about? I thought you guys were better than that."

"Like how you were stealing monsters from us when you met us in the forest?"

"Kotaru, enough! You have known Asasaki for far too long to continue this grudge. Let it go." I coughed quietly and glanced away, feeling a bit of second hand embarrassment at the scolding. "As for the poaching, I am ashamed to admit we did do that. It does not excuse our actions, but we did it for the resources."

"If you are referring to our current actions, then it's because we're being paid for it." The strategan of Fūmaningun looked over at Shen for approval to continue. "Some of the information brokers are paying us in materials and cor for patrolling the more common farming areas to keep the players safe from unforeseen circumstances to and head off any arguments."

"It is as Taro says. Where once we were nothing more than common bandits, now we are acting as true shinobi." Shen gave me a meaningful look, tapping the blade strapped along his waist meaningfully. "There are other things we are being paid for as well, but I can assure you they are meant only to help the players as a whole."

 _The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Shen._ "It's 2023 now, isn't it? The year, I mean. Not the time." I pushed off the tree, straining to take note of the eight others still habitually training their «Hide» skill in the branches.

"It is. The dawn marks the beginning of our third month in this world. Does it scare you, Miss Asasaki?"

"Just a little," I replied. "Not so much for myself as it is for the thousands of other players whose lives have suddenly been stopped from progressing."

"Then let us hope that this year will be a prosperous one for us, and for those that wish to return back to our birth world."

I closed my eyes, mulling the leader of Fūmaningun's words around. "And let us hope that our bonds will let us see the next year arrive. Happy New Year, Shen, Taro." The moment my well wishing was returned, the twelve ninja shot off across the field, their forms disappearing among the rolling hills. "Guess now I have a proper reason to fight in this world then."

 _ **You always knew it. Helpings others is an intrinsic value of yours, even if you try to be selfish.**_

"Do you have to be such an ass about telling me things I refuse to acknowledge? Jeeze." I ran my fingers through my hair, a beaming grin blossoming on my face. "Alright then, Kayaba. It's a new year, and we're all learning what makes this world tick. So come on, show us what you've got."

* * *

 _Next chapter expected to be out_ _ **May 18th or 25th**_ _. If it comes out the 25th hopefully I'll have finished my revising of Chapter 1 and can get that out in that time frame._


	27. Renewal

_So I think I figured out what happened with my variant of the 6th floor; I went too big. I was playing Breath of the Wild for a significant portion of that time and instead of being a single 10km/~6m area I made it a whole game unto itself. Whoops. Maybe one day I'll come back and fix it up, but for now I think it's actually good that I stepped away from it where I did. Two regions is a pretty good amount of content that I can rework later on._

 _If you've received a notification of a new chapter, please look at Chapter 1. I've done a full edit and clean up of that and replaced it._

* * *

 **"I always dreaded my leave as much as I looked forward to them. Taking a break from having to operate 110% whenever you were deployed was completely refreshing, but knowing you had to go back to that was just so- so disheartening."**

Peace coursed through my entire body, my muscles feeling looser than they had in years. Barely cognite of my surroundings, I pulled the blanket around me tighter, using the warmth to stave off the images branded into my mind. Some time later a full body yawn escaped my mouth, arms and legs splaying out. For a brief moment I swore I was back on Earth, muscles and bones pulled taut through naught but my own efforts. "Morning." I turned towards the body that had slept beside me, nuzzling my head into the crook of where arm met torso.

"Ah, morning, Asasaki."

Grumbling half formed protests, my left hand moved from his shoulder down to his chest. "Pillows should be soft, not hard. Relax."

"Sorry. I'm just a little," Klein took in a deep breath, the two of us melting into the down and feather duvet covering the straw mattress. Slowly, with each word spoken in anticipation of something, "This is something I'm not used to is all."

"Don't get too used to it," I mumbled, guiding his right hand onto my back. "This is probably a one time thing." I let out a content sigh, the temptation of falling back asleep growing stronger with every stroke of my hair.

"Do you remember why you climbed into my bed?" Klein continued his ministrations, his breathing mimicking my meditative four count.

 _There's still no heartbeat. Why isn't there a heartbeat?_ "A nightmare." I pursed my lips, the beautiful illusion cracking. "I don't remember what it was about." The lie flowed smoothly from my lips, an unsettlingly familiar coldness nestling in my chest. "Thanks for not putting up a fuss though." I untangled myself from his limbs and moved onto the edge of the bed, materializing my day clothes before summoning a comb and needlessly working through my mercilessly untangled hair.

"You're welcome, I think." The fabric rustled behind me. I imagined that if he himself wasn't getting changed then he was politely staring away. Despite the handful of times his flirtatious nature had reared itself, my guild leader was surprisingly respectful and considerate of my less than modest habits.

"I'm going to go visit someplace before breakfast. Do you mind getting something for me? And maybe a cup of tea?" I sent over a handful of cor along with a few leaves of Asuka's rose tea, my mood brightening at the thought.

"Yeah, no problem." My greeveless boots formed around my feet, the snugness bringing a sense of peace comparable to his arms. "Asa-" I turned around at his pause, searching his face for what prompted him to stop. "Dawn. I don't know what's going through your mind, but I'm here for you. We're all here for you. You're important to all of us, and not just as a trainer or mentor. Never forget that, alright?"

My lip twitched. Even if we had only spent a few months together, there was no doubt at all in my mind about about his words. "Of course. I'll see you at breakfast, Ryoutarou." _How long has it been since this exact moment?_ I stared at the the early morning sun, nostalgia splashing with every footstep at the almost exact scene playing out before me. NPC's walking around with a predetermined cause, my mind a mess from the memories and longing desire to return to some attempt at normalcy pulling me forward. I let out a long breath of partially misted air, realizing I had managed to travel all the way to the orphanage during my reviere. "I'm getting too old for this."

The smell of spiced oats and what passed for apples greeted me as I approached the wooden doors, a figure passing by the opened window alerting me to who was on kitchen duty. "Sasha, open up! It's me!" I closed my eyes at the clinking of dishes, mentally tracking her foot falls on the cobbled flooring right up until the door creaked open.

"AsasakI! You're here rather early. Is everything alright?" The matron stepped to the side and welcomed me in, her purely cosmetic apron making her look more maid than mother.

"Everything's okay on my end. I ended up spending the night here and thought I should drop by and help out a bit before my day started." I sent over a significant portion of my cor, pressing a finger against her lips before her usual protests could be voiced. "We've been through this song and dance before. Just accept the money, alright?"

The brunette's shoulders sank in resignation, her hand finishing the rest of the trade. "While I appreciate your assistance, I still feel bad about taking so much from you. I know you help out on the front lines and the cor you give to us-"

"Will help feed the children and procure resources from Argo or whoever else you decide to go through to get supplies. These steps are familiar, so stop protesting, okay?" I put on her spare apron hanging nearby, lending my assistance where I could. Without a cooking skill the most I could do was prepare fruits and vegetables; Sasha on the other hand could fully synthesize the ingredients into stews, pies, and other finished products. "How are the older kids treating you?"

The woman paused mid tap, her lips curling back in thought. "They're pushing for more and more freedoms. Every other day they ask me for permission to go beyond the walls and I think it's only because of those Fūmaningun members that drop by from time to time that they still listen to me."

"The Fūma Nin are a bit odd, but they're trustworthy." I leaned against one of the counters, setting a pot to boil. "Which kids specifically?"

"Aries, Florida, and Silica. I think Silica is only going along because the other two are her friends, but those boys," She trailed off, shaking her head. "You should talk to them soon. They look up to you, being one of the first fighters that I actually approved of."

I rubbed my head with my pointer and middle finger, recalling a boy in yellow that had said something remarkably similar. "Next time I have a chance then. I have some things I need to take care of up north. Was there anything you wanted me to get from Tolbana?"

"Maybe another chicken or two," she said after a moment. "Eggs are always a nice ingredient, and the children might enjoy having another pet around the place."

I nodded, returning my decorative apron to its rack. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to message me, alright? Children are our future-"

"They deserve to be protected, this is a topic we've traversed well." Sasha smiled and pulled me into a hug. "You're a wonderful woman, Asasaki. Make sure you're taking care of yourself, alright? The kids have me, and the guilds have each other." Her eyes crinkled in unspoken words, their significance not lost upon me.

I pulled away slowly, not letting myself break away from her gaze until I had to. "I'll see you later today."

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Sparkling red traced the path of my blade, health plummeting with every second my weapon stayed embedded within. The hushed war cries of Klein reached my ears, muffled by the large petals of the «Slumbering Lily» surrounding me. In a few vicious moments replete with wide arced strikes the beast shattered like the rest of its kin, an assortment of materials depositing into my inventory as I fell. "Still alive and kicking, Klein?" I slipped my sword into its sheath, warily eyeing the red bar of my companion.

"Yup, all green over here!" He swiped his nose with a thumb, grinning cheerily. "This was a pretty good idea, if I do say so myself, acting as your tank and all. These things barely cause me any damage so I can grind up my Battle Healing without any worry."

"If you're sure you're fine with it." I shook my head and continued pressing onward. "You know I'm actually a little jealous of you guys. Was the dungeon that difficult?" I made my stat screen visible to him, pointing out my paltry level of 23 compared to his 25.

A deflective chuckle was all I received as an answer, the red head running a hand through his hair. "Let's just say we were forced to do the same thing as Asuna back during that first month. That party was something we really needed to try and unwind from all the stress."

"We don't need to go back to that sort of thing, not unless we really need to." I dug a small line in the ground with my now armored boot, the green tinted metal shining unblemished after a somewhat costly NPC repair. _Don't let him dwell on it. Not right now._ "Hey, let's keep going. I've been putting off this visit to Hilde off for far too long. I wanna see what stuff she managed to make after I visited last last week."

"Right, Hilde. Potions." Klein continually nodded, slowly breaking out of whatever memory had taken hold of him. "Do you think it'll be worthwhile for everybody to make use of those poisons you've talked about from time to time?"

I hummed, dancing along an exposed root at the side of the path that went on for several feet. "Probably not. Maybe in certain cases we can, but for constant use I think only Choryu and I can take advantage of them. We get away from the front lines enough that we can apply them whenever we want, but the rest of you will have to juggle between potions or poisons if you ever retreat and even with practice it still takes a good three seconds or so to chug one down." I turned to the side, noticing a lone «Giant Wasp» flying nearby. "Gimme a sec. Pest control." Without much fuss I returned with a few stingers and several wing fragments, making a mental note to see what I could trade them for in the player markets. When I returned, my companion was once again staring off into the distance.

 _What happened to you guys?_ "Klein." I tapped his forearm, waiting for him blink out of his nightmare. When he finally returned I tugged on his wrist, pulling him forward a little. "C'mon. Hilde's waiting for us, remember?" I clinked my nail against Asuka's badge, the medal delicately slotted into carved wood from the forests west of Karluin in order to function as a necklace.

After several moments passed by without any comment, I took it upon myself to prattle on about idle things, using my nieces and nephews as a grounding. "...but it got so frustrating sometimes," I groused. "If the three of us did our makeup, unless I purposely worked to highlight my facial structure I always ended up looking like the youngest out of us." I gave an exaggerated groan, walking backwards a few steps to meet his amused gaze. "I swear they took pride in looking like they were in their twenties while I still appeared like a teen." I brought a free hand up to my lips and chuckled. "Although it was pretty nifty sometimes, especially when people started trying to get grabby and big strong men in college or university got completely floored by a girl half a foot- I mean, some fifteen centimeters smaller than them." _You're worrying me, Klein. You shouldn't be acting like this._

I turned around and continued guiding my slightly unresponsive friend forward, the curved blade user only recovering when enemies were around. "Klein, I know everybody deals with everything differently, but you need to try and pull yourself together. At least a little bit." I stopped and stared up at the sky hidden by intertwined branches, hands resting on my hips. "You can't let whatever's bothering you keep you down this badly. Let it linger, but not drown you." I spun around and leaned towards him, a sly grin on my face. "I'm a horrible example, but look at me!" I gestured at my body sensually, quietly barking when he looked away. "Sure, I make some pretty questionable decisions from time to time, but for the most part I can still function in society." I ignored the clinking armor of the two «Tolbanian Militia Members» walking past us, moving onto the tips of my feet to forcefully push Klein's lips into a smile. "We'll talk about this later, but for now, we're just enjoying our day, alright? Just hold out until tonight."

He merely nodded, lost in thoughts for another moment before literally slapping himself out of it. "Right, I'm sorry. Today's about you. You're taking care of things you've been meaning to for awhile."

"Today's about us," I corrected. "Two friends enjoying some time off." After a second I removed my equipment, leaving me in the somewhat loose, durable clothing I had picked up from the sixth floor. "No more fighting for now. Just enjoying the scenery, maybe a brisk jog at most."

"I don't know if I can-"

"Please. I want to be a civilian. At least for a couple hours." I smiled softly, hoping that the conneciton of our hands would commune just how much I wanted this.

"You're so weird, Asasaki."

"I'm a foreigner," I whispered back, my heart aching at the familiar weariness in his eyes. "I'm allowed to be weird." The pregnant silence that I had so desperately tried to fill earlier now turned comfortable, the two of us meandering along the detritus that would never turn into fertilizer. It was during this time that I realized Klein's choice in clothing hadn't really changed since the first time I met him; thick brown pants capable of several weeks if not months of field work with a simple sleeveless red shirt resting atop an off white long sleeved cotton one. The ever present red bandana with sparse diagonal yellow lines tied snugly to his head completed the ensemble, giving his essential bed hair a significantly more clean look. Aside from myself, everybody in the guild had taken to placing red somewhere on their outfits. Even Haru had adopted a red cloth with the guild's symbol tried to his waist, the material significantly more ornate than the simple white I refused to do away with.

"I don't suppose you've noticed them?" I asked suddenly. When he asked for clarification, "There are goblins lurking around the woods. Instead of red indicators they have yellow. Call me crazy, but I'd wager our actions here made them become NPC's." I glanced down at the medallion of the Shukechuun resting beside the gourd from the second floor I had replaced my original waterskin with, wondering if it was that item specifically that was granting us a different relation or if Gherlec had truly convinced his tribe not to antagonize any more players.

"We should visit them at some point," Klein mused. "Let them know what's going on."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea. Hopefully it doesn't end up as us just saying that and keep forgetting to do it." As we entered the outpost, something about it struck me as different. Perhaps it was how long it had been, or maybe it was having gone up against a literal dragon, but the construction of the buildings here just felt so relaxing. _Wait, no._ I closed my eyes, wondering how long I would have been able to endure the simplistic percussion and woodwind background music that hadn't been there before. "And now I can't stop paying attention to it," I muttered to myself.

"There are other players here now." Klein gestured towards a group of people exiting the diner, not noticing my internal struggle. "Looks like they just did that leather armor quest recently."

I glanced at the people in question, wondering if I had come across them before. "It being a while and a lot of stuff happening, did there use to be an instance marker for this area? I swore that we were the only people here and not just because of the difficulty in arriving." I started towards the steaming flask sign, grateful that a duo had just exited Hilde's shop.

"The only marker I can think of was the ruins in the east, though I'm pretty sure we had one leading into the plains south of Tolbana when we first escorted Mitsui back." Klein moved to tap open the door. After a brief pause he instead reached out and pulled it open, incomprehensibly mumbling as he shook his head. "You know this is actually my first time being back down on this floor?"

"Really? Madame Inheritor's had me come down here all the time for deliveries and pick ups." A wave of odors crashed over me as we walked in, the scents enveloping me in their pungence. Once upon a time I had crinkled my nose in distaste, but I was willing to bet a decent amount of cor that the reason I was able to appreciative it now was because of the thick undercurrent of «Slumbering Lily Petals» in the air, the smell overpowering everything else. "Hilde, I'm back!" I strode up to the wooden desk, eyeing a distinct blue block of shining crystal decorating in weaving lines of silver resting among a pile of glistening potions under a focused lantern.

The potion maker shuffled out from behind the curtain of beads, pleasure spread across her face. "Asasaki, welcome back, welcome back. Might it be too hopeful of this old woman to ask if you have reached Collinia yet?"

"Sorry, we've haven't heard about a word of the place." I disguised opening my quest log with a few gestures, closing the window after reaffirming that the 'Herbalist's Reunion' side quest was still sitting at the bottom of the screen. "I do have quite a bit of materials for you to mess around though." I pulled out the small collection of the various botanical and monstrous materials I had gathered since my last visit, the majority of them having been confirmed by the locals in their relevant areas for alleged medicinal properties. Whether or not a tarragon lizard fang could actually be used for this sort of work I wasn't sure, but the way the potion maker's face lit up with every new ingredient generously rewarded my efforts.

"Of these items," she gestured towards the plants and insect materials, pushing aside the carapace and various fragments that I had supposed were meant for armor and weapons. "Do you have more?" Without a word I summoned forth the rest I had tucked away in my inventory, making an appreciative sound at the small reduction in weight I felt without all the items. "Come back in a day or two. My journals are laying around somewhere and it will take some time to jostle this old mind of mine about the recipes." She looked up, suddenly realizing that Klein was also in the room.

"You two have met quite the interesting individuals, haven't you?" She looked the two of us over, cackling softly. "Yes, yes you have. I recognize that jewelry on you." Klein and I simultaneously glanced at the few trinkets we hadn't removed, examining them in closer detail. "Go on, then, return to your friends from the other kingdoms. When you come back from the lands beyond, bring me a few potions and perhaps a sample of poison if you've met the tribe I think you have. I may have been a prodigy of my craft when I left, but it has been a good few decades since I have had contact with my peers. I need to see if their standards have faded with over the ages." Without further conversation Hilde shooed us out, somehow managing to physically slip me a handful of potions and preventatives amidst the confusion.

"Were you expecting that to happen?"

I quietly stepped to the side, allowing the same boisterous group of teens from earlier to enter the building. "I was expecting something more friendly, close. Like meeting a grandfather or grandmother. What happened there," I trailed off, holding up a health potion whose description was spot on for the quality we could purchase from the third or fourth floors. "What happened there was an old lady rekindling her passion after years of not having it," I decided. "It's only natural she got excited like that, she acted fairly similar after I gave her the first batch of materials when I visited before New Years. Now come on, I wanna go visit the lodge. There's the third group of militia men I've seen since we entered this forest and I just know there's a story I missed out on."

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I nudged around one of the small figures representing the Tolbanian forces stationed around the western forest path. The last time I had seen this map was in Asuka's study and the amount of models still placed on there had been less than half, so seeing the amount of activity occurring was worrying. "And you say the Swordsmen in the area have been helping out?"

"That is correct."

I tapped the statue slowly, moving it back into position. Unlike the Tolbanians that traveled with us, the NPC's here spoke according to a fairly recognizable script, and the way they implemented their responses was extremely true to their station. 'Sorry, I'd love to chat more but I'm on break. I want to make the most of it' was one of the most common ones, right alongside 'That's above my pay grade. Why don't you look for one of the Sergeants? I'm sure they could help you out'.

"Since when has this started?" Klein asked. I quietly turned up the volume for my background music, realizing that the theme was a variation of the very calming and rustic orchestra that played whenever I was chatting with Mitsui.

"Some time in the past month or so. After the umpteenth Swordsmen barged into our headquarters back in Tolbana asking for anything they could help us with we decided to put them to work. Far be it from us to turn away willing volunteers." The Explorer shook his head, placing another handful of fairly ornate wooden figurines wielding claymore and other two handed weapons of the region alongside a wagon exiting the swamp lands along the eastern portion of the floor.

I sent Klein a message, my inputs hidden among the rest of my fidgeting. #Remind me to ask Rat if she's heard about any new quests.# "Have they been giving you much trouble? The majority of the Swordsmen here are still trainees, so if anything goes wrong we can try and help solve the issues."

"Your kind are strange I will admit, but they get the job done. I only wish they wouldn't talk amongst themselves so much. It's quite unnerving to ask them something and then have to wait several minutes before getting a response." Klein coughed at the Sergeant's words, sending me a meaningful look. "It's why any sort of task handling is given to the leaders of each units and not just any Explorer."

"By the way, what's going on with the goblins? I remember the first month we were here they were a significant problem, but during our travel today they seemed almost non-existent." I fiddled with the Shukechuun sigil, thumbing the design embedded into its face.

"The goblins? Aside from the ruins in the mountains and the more dangerous parts of the swamps, they've been exactly as you've said. We've seen neither hide nor hair of them. Not that the newbies would be complaining, but it has logistics stressed out."

Sir Scruffles cleared his throat, straightening from his crouched posture. "We'll see what we can do about the situation. We actually dealt with the goblins a few times before," the Sergeant gave a small respectful nod at that, "and between Asasaki and me we should have no problems figuring out what happened."

 _That's a misdirection if I've ever heard one. #_ What ever happened to chivalry and being honest?# I sniffed, swinging my legs off the arm rest and onto the floor. #Sorry, bushido.# "I noticed this map has a new drawing of a campsite near Horunka. What's going on over there?"

"The swordsmen seem to congregate there on an almost ritualistic basis. It's easier for us to send messages and handle these so called 'quests' there instead of here not to mention it's much more quieter for the men on break without all those boots trampling around." The middle aged man shook his head in disapproval. "Trainees indeed. But enough about our situation. Where is it that you intend on going after this?"

 _ **That last line's out of place.**_

 _Truly inner me, thank you for such insightful commentary._ "After this we're going to head off to Tolbana. Mitsui wants me to pick up some supplies for her."

"Ah yes. We were told that Lady Mitsui had gone with a few Swordsmen to lands beyond the mountains." The man stood and tousled around a drawer in his desk, head angled to easily project his voice towards us. "Tell me, how does she fair these days?"

"Quite well, actually. She and Asahi are getting quite a kick out of all the new places we've been to." I accepted the few rolls of parchment the sergeant handed over, belatedly realizing that the man had had a quest indicator floating over his head the past few minutes.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad that she has this opportunity to see the lands of our forefathers. Growing up, all we've had of other pastures is that of our books and stories passed through the ages."

"Speaking of which," I pulled out a few sacks of meat I had acquired from the 6th floor, the system preventing the still fresh items from oozing non existent blood. "I think your men might enjoy this. It's a bit tough, but definitely different from the standard meats around here."

"Thank you." The head of the outpost gave a quick nod, calling for one of the men stationed outside his door to collect the items. "I'll be sure to let the men know who to thank for tonight's meal."

"We're grateful for your time, Sergeant Takahashi. Take care." Klein led the way out the building, exchanging a few nods with the Explorers milling about. "Did you really have to give him all that meat?" he asked once we left.

"What? It's called net working. Next time we drop by they might remember us. Or word will get passed on. Whatever. My point is," I paused, reverting the change I had done to my audio settings now that it had changed to the looping ambiance of the Horunka forest, "simple stuff like this is how you get in the good graces of people."

Klein gave an uncharacteristically ambiguous grunt, falling silent for several minutes. "Asasaki, you know they're NPC's, right?"

I twirled around to look at him, wanting to make note of his expression. There was a hint of pity mingling among the concern, the way he spoke reaffirming my fears about my attitude towards Mitsui and the others. "I know. But if I don't think of them as proper sentient humans, it's going to ruin me. I can't handle that kind of thinking. That sort of logic," I turned back around, bemoaning our failure to acquire a horse or two to travel back to Tolbana upon. "That sort of logic is the sort of thing that should only be applied to enemies. Allies and bystanders need to be treated like you'd treat everybody else. Fairly, gently, and equally."

Klein simply shook his head. "If that's what you want to do, I won't stop you. Just be careful about how attached you're getting. We're going to get out of here one day after all."

Eyeing the boughs above us, I mulled his words around, paying idle attention to the birdsong of avians we'd never see. "I see what you're getting at, but don't you think that's an incredibly sad outlook? So what if they're just artificial intelligence governed by ones and zeros?" I stared at the hill leading to the southern plains of Tolbana, the short break Harry, Dale, Choryu and I had taken a little north of here playing through my mind. "That doesn't make their existence any less real to us. It doesn't mean that the emotions they show don't have any value." I looked away, fingers grasping for a blade that had been stowed away. "Or maybe I'm just being crazy and just trying to humanize one of the rare connections I've made with somebody since being discharged."

"Asasaki,"

My left hand snapped up, a split thought stopping me from shoving his arm off my shoulder. "Life is important, Klein." I closed my eyes, slowly breathing out the extremes. "I can't- I'm still damaged. If I don't make this distinction that all friendlies need to be protected, I don't know how I'll be able to cope."

His arms settled around me, gentle, hesitant hands turning me around to face him. "If this is what you need to do, then that's okay. I'm not going to make fun of you for trying to stay sane." His stomach buckled, a short laugh escaping his mouth. "Actually, I can't help but think that you're incredibly smart for that sort of thinking."

"You're just trying to make me feel better," I mumbled into him, letting his warmth surround me once again.

"But I'm also speaking the truth. After what happened on the third floor and then on the fourth, it's really scary, you know? The Floor Bosses become so clinical and practiced, even if they get hectic. But diving into these dungeons? I feel like that's where the true horror is. Realizing that you willingly walked into such a dangerous situation and you can only rely on yourself to get out of it." One of Klein's hands moved up to my head, slowly combing through my untied hair. "How did you do it, Dawn? How did you stay out there after having lost so many people?"

I looked up at him, suddenly placing that far off look he held. "I reminded myself every day that there were still people surrounding that that looked to me for guidance." I reached up and slowly redirected his gaze towards me. "Every day when I woke up and ate with my unit, I told myself that even if I couldn't find the strength to stay strong for those under my command, I could always look to them. That I could borrow the strength they believed I had because to them, I was their sword, their tank, the promise that we would make it out of everything alive." I took a step back, steeling my resolve.

"Klein, let's promise each other something." He stared at me brokenly, my other self quietly questioning whether or not what I was doing was the right choice. "If anything ever happens, we look to each other for strength. I'm damaged, you're hurting. Alone we can't stand up, but together we can keep each other strong." I held my hand out, my forearm reaching well into his personal space. "Promise me, Ryoutarou. Your friends, _our friends_ , need people to look to for guidance. So be the sword at my side, and I'll be the wind at your back, okay?"

His strained expression cracked slightly, the significantly taller man reaching down and grasping my extended limb by the forearm in return. "You're so incredibly weird, Dawn."

"I'm a foreigner. I'm allowed to be."

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"Afternoon." The usual guard (who the system still called 'Tolbanian Guard') standing at the base of the stairs in the Mitsui Trading Guild headquarters returned my nod and greeting with a crisp snap to attention, only returning to his previous position when we passed.

"Is that normal for you?" Klein asked once we passed.

"It only started around last week or so. Before then he only treated me with the usual suspicious looks he gives everybody who walks in hoping for a quest." I scoffed, shaking my head at yet another piece of equipment built from the blueprints Asuka had procured decorating the plinths leading to her room/office. "He never actually says anything to me. Only salutes, moving to attention, and returning my nods when I give him something casual on the way out." I pulled the key to my first Contracted partner out of my pocket, the door unlocking with a frankly needless click.

"God, are they seriously not touching her room?" I walking around and fluffed several of the cushions, adjusting the curtains and opening the windows that had not been moved since my last visit a few days prior.

Klein awkwardly stood at the side of the door, watching me go about the room. "Not going to lie, Asasaki. I actually feel a little weird being in here with you."

"What, this morning still bothering you?" I moved a pile of encased scrolls to the side, uselessly dusting her desk with my hand and breath before placing them back.

"No, not that. Well okay, a little. But it's more like I'm in somebody's room for the first time. Seriously, you're moving around really comfortably."

I chuckled and sat down in Asuka's seat, giving a quick once over for anything out of place. "You forget, Klein. While you guys were out and about killing monsters and exploring, I was the middle man for any time we needed to talk with Mitsui. She was our primary quest giver while we were in the area, remember?" After a moment I sent off a message to Argo asking about the whereabouts of 'Lisbeth', promising to pay her when next we met.

"I remember." Klein sat down on the couch farthest from the desk, a pair of shields with crossed blades resting on the wall behind him framing him perfectly.

"Care for a drink while we're here? Asuka gave me permission to finish whatever opened bottles she has laying around." I stepped into the back room and glanced around for the items I needed, leaving the door open to hear Klein's response.

"Why would Asuna have given you permission- Wait, did you just say Asuka? And didn't you just get on my case for drinking?" Klein blinked rapidly and shook his head in confusion. "Hold, have you been finishing her bottles? Even at the party last night you basically kept to the juices and water instead of any alcohol!"

"I've had a glass or two when I come here, yes." I called out, remaking her bed. It was quite frankly disturbing how close her resting quarters were to the wine rack. "What can I say, her place is amazing for thinking about stuff, and a flavored drink is the perfect way to keep my hands busy. The table's great for looking at maps or reviewing texts like Argo's books or quest logs so my mind's able to do whatever it needs to do." I sauntered out of the room, dropping a trio of bottles into my inventory which were allegedly aged ten years according to the few journals the leader of the trading guild had laying around.

"You-" Klein shook his head once again, accidentally nudging the table with his knee and moving a few of the figurines laying atop the map around. "Is that everything then?"

"Just about. I still need to peek into the armory next door to get some reports on how they're dealing with the new smithing methods." As we exited the main building the wind suddenly picked up and blew my unclipped bangs around, almost annoyingly at the same time a thought popped into my mind. "Wait a minute, do the others even know we're down here?"

"I'm actually pretty disappointed in you." Klein bapped his knuckles gently against my head. "We've been up for almost five hours and only now you ask about them?"

"Hey, my day started off sharing a bed with you." I stared at him teasingly. "I think I deserve a little slack."

"Is that supposed to be an insult or?"

"It's a neutral statement, don't read into like that. It's been a while since I've shared a bed with anything other than a dog or horse, so it was a strange thing." I glared at a passerby that had heard what I said, his snickering replaced by a joy inducing fear.

"Look at us, spending the day together, learning all sorts of things about each other." Klein repeated my line about sleeping with animals back to me, a sing song lilt adding to his amusement. "You know, I bet the guys would absolutely love to know this stuff about you. Seriously, the next time we spend a night out in the fields, you gotta tell us more stories about your life."

I gave him a queer look, flashing Asuka's emblem and asking the questioning worker that approached us for Ferghus. "Maybe. Provided that means we actually camp out and not be forced to rest after a fight with near 90% casualties." I glanced away when he flinched, realizing my mistake when he began laughing awkwardly. "Since we're here, when was the last time you upgraded your equipment?"

"Just last night, actually. While you were resting near that violin player,"

"I'm not quite sure that was a violin," I interjected, recalling the vaguely archaic design of the instrument.

"I found a Player smith near the portal. He managed to upgrade the «Tide Ripper» sword I picked up from one of the sahuagin to usable levels. I haven't tried it out yet, but I will once we return to the upper levels."

"You should equip it now, in all honesty." I quirked my lip, suddenly realizing that particular ending tic had been learned from Klein. "Better to get used to the feel of it down here where we basically have no need to worry than in actual combat."

Whatever Klein's response was became lost under Ferghus' booming voice. "Asasaki! How's my favorite supplier doing these days?"

My knees buckled slightly under the lead blacksmith's pat, the impact having significantly more weight behind it even if it didn't send me stumbling as badly as Agil's. "Ferghus, I'm not exactly a supplier, you know this. I'm just the-"

"Delivery girl, aye, as you've said every single time you drop bye. And my response, without fail, will always be-"

I let out a breath, joining him in unison. "'You drop by supplies and equipment for my men to work with, that makes you a supplier.' Really Ferghus, I don't think that means what you think it means."

"It means you blabber on far too much about the specifics of the language, girl. Come now, what sort of toys have you brought for this old man to play with?" He placed a hand on my back, guiding me towards the back room where several of the forges meant for the more experiences smiths were located.

"A few weapons and metals from a land of sprawling canyons lush with greenery, floating islands, and a tree covered spiraling mountain filled with dragons of both the winged and flying serpentine kind." I pulled out the materials in question, wondering for not the first time if all these minor 'quests' I incidentally completed while playing messager was the reason why the level gap between me and the rest of Fūrinkazan was so minor.

"Lady, you've got to lay off the liquor that Lady Mitsui keeps having you fetch." He bellowed out for a few apprentices to take the equipment off me, the mixture of teens and young adults scrambling to obey the orders of what was probably their boss' boss.

I simply quirked a brow in response, letting his laughter speak for me. "Speaking of Mitsui, you happen to have any reports she can look over?" Ferghus yelled once again for one of the apprentices to grab the records from his office, the man himself disappearing behind one of the various racks in the warehouse and returning with a pair of weapons sheathed within wood decorated with shining grey metals.

"Reports, and some new playthings. One for Lady Mitsui herself and one for you. I heard how satisfied you were with that Dao you picked up so I took the liberty of having another model crafted with some of the materials you brought back from that 'Karluin' place." He held out the distinct rapier for one of the soot covered teens to hold. Now able to use both hands, he pulled out the curved blade that looked sized for me, the replica of my old level 10 «Ceremonial Dao» complete with a frivolous baby blue ribbon that danced through the air with every testing swing. "It holds a sharper edge than the metals we've been using, and it's a hell of a lot more durable than anything we've made before. You'll be doing us proud if you use this."

I accepted the weapon with grace, noting that I was two levels away from being able to equip it. Swinging it around was something I could do easily do, but if I were to actually use it in combat it would throw off my accuracy so far it wouldn't even be funny. "Thank you. The weight's a little different than what I'm used to." I materialized «Tormenting Reaver» to my side and patted it. "I'll have to train with this blade for some time before I can use it properly."

"Just think of us folk back in here in Tolbana when you do. Lady Mitsui doesn't say much in her letters about what you're doing beyond those Heavenly Pillars, but she keeps talking about a hope to return the lands back to the way our ancestors knew them."

A chill ran down my spine at his words. "I'll make sure she gets these." I did my best to ignore the pressing questions that arose within, a quest notification briefly flaring when I took the reports and experimental rapier from the two teens before they scurried off to do whatever.

"I know you will, lass. And you!" Ferghus pointed towards Klein, the redhead taking a step back in surprise. "Take care of her, alright? Those of us within the Trading Guild and Lady Mitsui herself would be terribly upset if something happened."

"Of course. We'd be upset too if something happened to her."

"'Her' is right here, thank you very much." I nudged Klein in the side with my elbow. Not enough to hurt more than a sting if the Safe Zone allowed for pain, but enough to push him aside a bit. "Now come on. I still need to find a cage or two to bring back the animals Sasha wanted. Until next time, Ferghus."

"See you then, Lady Asasaki."

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"Two chickens, four sacks of wheat, a crate of sun dried fruits, and a set of knives made from metals found on the fourth floor, just because it's you." I jerked my head towards the old knife block resting on the kitchen counter, the aforementioned newer set resting on the table Sasha and I commonly used for our discussions.

"But why the knives?"

"Higher quality materials leads to higher quality products, right?" I shrugged. "Honestly, it was a splurge. I was walking through the Tolbana NPC markets and I found it on sale. Apparently my being a glorified transport is having an effect down here, so I thought I might as well share the benefits."

"Pardon me," Sasha habitually reached up and made to adjust a pair of glasses that weren't there, the purely cosmetic item being far too expensive for the time being to acquire. "But did you just insinuate that you're changing the NPC markets? The things that are supposed to be stagnate and unique to each floor?"

"Err, yeah?" I tried and failed to pet one of the caged chickens with a finger, the bird still holding a grudge over the amount of jostling it had been subjected to during the run back. "Mitsui, the person in charge of the local trade group, basically has me collecting materials from each floor I bring her to and delivering them to the relevant workshop back in Tolbana alongside a note or order." Something in my thoughts clicked. "Wait, backing up a sec." I met Sasha's eyes, synapses firing rapidly. "Holy shit. I'm influencing the base stock of the first floor."

"Be glad there aren't any kids around. I know they don't adhere to all the rules I set for them while I'm not around, but that's no excuse to not mind your verbiage."

"Sorry. But I'm just," I pulled out my chair and sat down, the reality of my situation hitting me full force. "I'm influencing the base stock of this region." I looked up, wide eyed.

"Asasaki, you just said that." Klein stared at me amusedly, arms crossed and a concerned smirk on his face.

"But I mean," my mouth formed several aborted words, each accompanied by their relevant starting sounds. "This shouldn't be happening, right? It's not like this is a single player game or anything. This is an MMO, quests are supposed to be an individual experience but everybody should be able to have the same general storyline, right?"

"Third floor," Klein coughed out.

"Right, third floor."

Sasha looked at the two of us, utterly lost. "What happened on the third floor?"

"We don't like to talk about. Not yet," I deflected. "Anyway!" I clapped my hands once, the resonating sound perfectly resembling the echoing quality of Klein's. "I've still got some people I need to meet today, and if I remember your schedule right, you should be holding a class in like ten minutes or so, right?"

"Oh gosh, you're right! I should have been looking over my notes. Asasaki, Klein, thank you for visiting. Please, be safe when you go back out."

"Of course. We always make sure to stay within acceptable margins." Klein grinned and winked at me. "Even her."

"It's not my fault you guys aren't confident enough in your martial abilities to be as courageous as me," I returned.

"Hey, didn't you once say that the difference between courage and stupidity is what the results turn out to be?"

I cleared my thought loudly, purposely ignoring his words. "Ah-hem! Be seeing you, Sasha. Tell the kids I said hi." Leaving the matron to her last minute preparations, I tugged Klein towards the exit, reflexively waving at the children playing around in the courtyard.

"They seem to like you," Klein remarked.

"It's only because I'm one of the few other adults that drop by that Sasha approves of." My eyelid twitched at the impish grin Silica shot me, the teen rushing off to share whatever unfounded gossip she had likely created. _Not even a week and that girl's decided I should be the focus of 'Teen Girl's Weekly'_

"Asasaki, I _can_ walk you know."

I let go of his wrist, realizing that yet once again I had stopped by the eternally playing harpist. "Sasha does a lot of work, you know?" I clasped my hands at the small of my back, taking a few measured steps. "The job of a educator is a pretty thankless one, don't you think?"

"Sometimes," he said slowly. "But sometimes the students realize what's going on and decide to show a bit of gratitude. I think that makes it worthwhile in the end.

"Maybe." I turned around carefully, observing hi posture. "Children really don't belong here." I gently shoved him with a hand, instantly retreating. "C'mon, slowpoke! There's things to do and people to see, and the Rat says I've got a lady somewhere on the fifth floor waiting for me!"

 _ **Didn't we promise ourselves to be truthful in everything we do?**_

Even as the laughter and giggles danced through my lips, my eyes narrowed. _Klein's going through a lot right now. Everybody's going through a lot right now. I can handle Sasha's issues on my own, there's no reason to bring the rest of the guild in._

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I cackled and threw my hands in the air, spinning forward a short distance as I waited for Klein to pass through the portal. "And the two time champion of the 50m dash wins yet again! Can nobody stop her reign of terror?!." I grinned mischievously, lowering my voice for only the two of us to hear. "Slow at races, always letting me go first in battle, does letting the woman go ahead of you extend to something else as well?"

"Oi!" Klein held a scolding finger out, his taller height and expression briefly reminding me of the few times I had been reprimanded as a child. "Don't joke about that! I'm still having a hard time trying to deal with this morning, I don't need your innuendos in the mix!"

I chuckled and waved my hand dismissively. "Fine, fine. If you say so. So, what else is on the-" I glanced downwards, blinking at the rapidly pulsating notifications that until now had been easy to ignore. "Klein, I think I'm needed back at Mitsui's."

"Yeah, I just got a message." My fellow curved sword user turned to look at me. "You know they've been trying to contact you for the past hour or so, right?"

I started jogging beside him, marveling at how slow a non-Sprint run felt. "Nope. This is the first I've properly looked at my notifications aside from Argo's message about where Lisbeth was. I turn off all non-essential information before bed. Since today was a rest day I didn't bother to turn it back on. Totally my bad, now that I think on it. The UI's basically a phone or radio in here and we're on the metaphorical front lines if not the rear support." I leapt down onto a passing gondola, giving the occupants of the boat a wink and two fingered salute before launching myself back onto the walkway and catching up to Klein as he continued jogging down the path.

"We really need to have a sit down one of these days and get everybody up to speed on each other. You have issues keeping your health in check and apparently now communicating with the rest of the team, our shield and spear users are far too in sync with each other that Dale, Choryu, and I mess up their attacks from time to time, and you've been out of the loop for so many days it isn't even funny anymore."

"Working on that health thing, by the way." I leaned forward slightly, my legs certainly blurring to those not used to the speed that Sprint granted. In less than two seconds I traversed along the upper edge of a building, completely bypassing the gaggle of heavily armored Dragon Knights walking past. "It'd be remiss of me not to take care of myself better, especially after everything the Sergeant's done for me." To his barely heard one word inquiry, "I'll tell you about it another time. For now, I've got some people to answer to."

Marching up to the door of Mitsui's temporary residence, a repeat of last night's performance was the last thing I expected. "You're late!" Issin pulled me in once again, Klein (the irritating bastard) following after in a significantly more composed manner. "Seriously, if it wasn't for Ryoutar- Klein, we would've started reaching out to others to try and find you."

"Sorry about that, it was my fault." Klein protectively eased my wrist out of Issin's grip, bringing the both of us towards our usual spots at the table. "So what's this about?"

"It's about the Fallen Elves, Swordsmen." My head immediately thunked against the table at Iseyer's words, the only recently repressed memories of the aftermath and the associated real life events resurfacing. "My men, who have thankfully 'recovered' from their former states, managed to meet with the local Forest Elves the night before."

"Please ignore me for the time being," I told the imagined questioning gazes. "Just remembering a particularly irksome problem I've yet to deal with."

 _ **When we get out of here, you are playing Knights and Dragon with your cousins. And you will love it.**_

 _That's childish and I hate that I'm longing for the ability to relax like that._

"This actually coincides with our own plans." Asuka stood up, her entire posture in business mode. "We've done as much business as possible in the region, but with the knowledge that there are other species in the region we'd like to meet them and see what sort of deals we can make." My two Contracts shared a brief nod, both sitting down and giving the floor over to Harry.

"While you two were off on your little date," Choryu and Issin twitched at the teen's words, one more subdued than the other, "I was working with Sergeant Iseyer's contacts to try and get passage to their base of operations. It's down river, fairly close to that village we had the Tower strategy meeting in, so we'll need to take the Gondolas again. The short of everything is, be on your best behavior lady and gentlemen. We're going along as protection and moral support, so just let Mitsui and the Sergeant handle everything for the time being."

"By the way, where are the Ol'dekhaan at?"

Iseyer opened his eyes, Klein's question breaking him from his thoughts. "They're over in the eastern forests with my men. We'll pick them up along the shoreline down the river. Like myself, they don't care too much for the buildings of humanity. We're much more at home in caves or a campsite, someplace much more connected to nature than here."

"Sounds like we get to go on another boating trip." I dragged my armor from my inventory onto my person, rolling my limbs to settle into the returned weight. "The waters south of Rovia have monsters in them, so I'm going to ask Swordsmen and Natives alike to be ready to strike down anything that gets near us. Our gondolas are equipped with a metal plated ram, but since they're on the front the drivers won't be able to get everything, so keep an eye out."

"Your ship's where you last parked it, Asasaki." Issin smiled at me, the edges of his grin appearing slightly forced. "You're the farthest from us, so you might as well get going first. Meet us over by the portal, alright?"

I gave him a nod as I backed towards the door, wondering whether or not Harry's remark had bothered him as much as I was imagining. "Catch you all in a bit."

* * *

 _Next chapter should be released on_ _ **June 15th**_ _._


	28. Virga

_AN: I'm alive? Oh hey, I'm alive! So I got a Switch and Breath of the Wild; got fully distracted by that. There was also this lovely little thing that we kind of call writer's block that made me question everything I did this chapter, and even now I'm not all that happy with it. But regardless, the show must go on._

* * *

" _ **There's a term for when rain falls in an area but due to local conditions never touches the ground, did you know that? I have a few cousins that fought forest fires who'd always talk about how it was such an odd sensation, being able to smell the moisture whenever the wind blew right but having the sweat blasted off your face. It must have been terrible, knowing salvation is so close but you can't even glimpse it."**_

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"Have to admit, I kind of expected there to be a marker on this place to prevent us from entering." The near half an hour of tentative boating through stone outcroppings had finally allowed us to see the Forest Elf Castle of the fourth floor, the rather impressive structure situated in the center of an cove surrounded by sheer walls reminding me of the photos I had seen of Mont Saint Michel.

"You forget that we were only able to pass through the natural defenses here thanks to the map my local brethren provided us," Iseyer immediately responded. "Your minutiae may be exactly that, but your pride is a stark contrast to your normal behavior. Don't think I didn't notice those twitches on your face that just so happened to coincide with the jerking of the boat."

"Che." I glanced to the side, his words striking a dissonant chord. "Are you seriously telling me you were paying attention to me that much despite having a full out story time with everybody?"

"Being able to spot changes in one's surroundings is among the most important skills of a Forest Elf soldier. You yourself are self trained in that, no? I believe the exact phrase you used at the time went along the lines of 'Oh look, a rock. And another rock. And another!'"

 _ **Somehow, the sheer monotony of his delivery makes it better.**_

 _Shut up you. I already have a minor case of embarrassment whenever I recall that memory, I don't need my conscious riffing my life._ "When you say Forest Elf, do you mean your species in general or is it related to your station being in forested areas where the Dark Elves are rumored to work primarily in dense growth and caves?"

Noticing the rest of our party engaged in their conversation about the castle, the sergeant fully turned to face me. "The Elven species as a whole and our location. Once upon a time Elves were skilled in weapons known as bows, but ever since we were stolen away to this Aincrad ranged weaponry beyond simple slings and anything we could throw with our own hands magically acquire a lack of accuracy that could best be described as aiming for the broadside of a cliff and missing."

"That actually happened to our people too," Asuka chimed. "According to the texts of my ancestors, the Black Iron Kingdom used to have entire regiments utilizing special bows that could reach across a whole field and extremely large, mounted crossbows that could launch bolts as thick as tree trunks. Once our region became separated from our neighbors though, we stopped using them because of the exact same thing; aiming became impossible except at close range and at that point it was more useful to use a polearm."

Klein shuffled closer towards us, Yamaguchi leaning back slightly to let the curved blade user join in. "That must have been quite the sight. Don't get me wrong, it's a lot of fun working with swords and spears, but I'm just imagining the kind of tactics we could pull off if we actually had ranged weapons available to us." The red head (though it suddenly occurred to me that perhaps it would be more accurate to call him a brunet compared to Asuka's more vibrant colors) hunched over and cupped his chin, fully embracing the daydream that ensnared him.

"Some of our books that date back several centuries ago specifically state that in more than a few battles enough projectiles were fired to 'blot out the sun'. I like to think that the scenes must have looked like a swarm of locusts descending upon a field, though infinitely more elegant in both execution and results."

I cleared my throat softly, following up with a cough. "War's always pretty in thought Asahi, but in person it's a lot different. That's kind of the issue with politicians being the ones in charge of- ah, sorry. It's a bit of a touchy subject for me." I shook my head. "My point is, just remember to temper what you think about combat until you've experienced it for yourself."

"That's exactly what I've been trying to tell this little silver worm for ages!" Asuka lurched across Hibiki's lap, an accusing finger pointed at the scholar. "He's always watching us train from the sidelines while doing his own work, but he's never actually on the field with us! Takeshi, next time we get a chance take him to task, would you?"

"My apologies, Lady Mitsui. Asahi is not capable of even a fraction of the standards of the Explorers. Did they not contain knowledge, I doubt he would be able to carry as many scrolls and materials as he does."

"I can hear you two perfectly clear, I hope you know."

"Land ho, Guild Master," I interrupted, an amused smirk sprawled across my face. "We've got business to take care of."

Shaken from his thoughts, Klein rose and confidently strode to the front of the gondola, the pacing he had done on the way here when not busy dealing with the river monsters adding a suitable panache to his movement. The moment the dock got into jumping distance he traversed the gap and pulled out the scroll of passage we had acquired from Iseyer's contacts. "A message from the scouts in the eastern mountains, and a request to speak with your leaders."

I activated the 'break' function of our vessel, leaning against the oar while Klein spoke with the two guards that had stepped out from the foliage planted against the wall. _Forest Elves wearing forest themed armor hiding amongst greenery at a point of entry. Not sure if smart, or stupidity disguised as bravado._ "Tactics aside, this is a pretty shnazzy place," I uttered. "Material is a great shade of black, dare I say purple. Thought it'd be made from wood and not stone though." I turned my attention to my female companion, her shuffling portraying an unusual sense of anxiety. "You doing alright, Mitsui?"

The merchant took a moment to change her nervous smile to her usual beam. "I've got butterflies fluttering about my stomach, but aside from the fear of dealing with a basically unknown species I'm confident I'll be able to make a good deal."

"I doubt it needs to be said, but just remember your training. You've basically been groomed for this sort of thing, but right now is the first real test of it. Other humans is one thing, but Elves are a different bunch. Just ask Sir Archaic over there." I nodded towards Iseyer. "I'm sure he could have told you quite a lot if we had the time." _Okay, seriously. Why the hell does it smell like a fish market? The waters are way too calm for any sort of activity here, and it's not like my vision's flooded with indicators._

"Asasaki, rope!" On instinct I tossed the length of material over to Klein, our gondola pulled closer by Klein and eventually Yamaguchi before being moored to the dock. "Mitsui, I think it would be best if you and Sergeant Iseyer took point from here. Asasaki and I will stay on the side, but from here on out we're looking to you for guidance. This is your battlefield afterall."

"Wow, way to destress me, Klein." Asuka slapped her cheeks twice before giving one of her trademark grins, stepping onto the platform with cheer. "Okay then, everyone. Here's hoping for a good time!"

"Mitsui, you do know it's only going to be a handful of us actually going in with you, right?" I gave her a sidelong glance, a single taunting eyebrow raised. _Hope those guards don't say anything detrimental about that outburst._

"Fine, if you want to play like that, then okay me, let's hope for a pleasant experience."

Chuckling, I continued trailing slightly behind on the left of her and Iseyer, Asahi and Yamaguchi flanking on her right with Hibiki following after his superior. "You guys mind if I ask some questions while we walk?" The two guards that met us at the entrance to the castle proper said nothing, their sleekly armored forms of lushly painted greens and browns barely clinking with each step. _Guess they're not meant to talk much._

"Speaking about asking questions, we're going to get out of your hairs for a little bit." Klein jogged up to me, crouching over a little to properly whisper. "We passed by an empty courtyard and we're thinking about getting some training in."

"You sure that's a good idea?" I questioned. "We're still not sure whether these guys will be friendly or not."

"Take my men with you," Iseyer interjected. "The soldiers here may not take kindly to your wanderings, but if they see some of our kind with you it is possible they will be more accomodating."

"Will they'll be okay?" Klein asked after a moment.

"They'll be fine." Harry moved up, his helmet off since we were in an arguably safe area. "We were able to hold a few conversations with them on the trip here. They get a little rigid from time to time, but we can say that least Issin, Choryu, and I am on good terms with them."

"Do you mind if I have Hibiki and Takeshi go with you? If our group is larger than four it might feel more like a show of force rather than a discussion."

"Of course, Mitsui. We always enjoy training with them, even if it's only Dale and Harry that get experience for it." Giving a quick explanation of their plan to our solemn guides (who had stopped and turned around at all our movement), Klein led the majority of our group (goblins included) back the way we came.

Several staircases and three walkways later, the pike bearing guards brought us through one final hall deep in the heart of the castle, knocking on the door at the end of the corridor before standing on either side of it. "Mind your weapon, human. Our brother may trust you, but it is only he and he alone that keeps you safe."

 _Oh, don't you worry a gosh darn about me, kind sir. I swear on my mother's family recipes that I wouldn't dare think about harming any of y'all._ I gave a simple nod, my snappy thoughts kept internal.

"You'll be fine, Lady Mitsui. You're more than prepared for this." Asahi gave the somewhat panicking woman a reassuring nod. "It doesn't matter that he's of a different species, we've already done this twice so just treat it as before."

 _Except, you know, he's an elf and several centuries older than the previous people you talked with. Probably knows what the lore of this place is supposed to be._

"Hurry up you three. Our lord doesn't have all day."

The inheritor of the trading guild took another deep breath before rapping her knuckles against the door twice and pushed. After an embarrassed cough, she instead successfully pulled it open and led our group of four inside.

 _As far as first impression go, I have extremely mixed feelings on him._ The large window in the back of the room overlooked the majority of the path we had taken on the way in, the opening in the cliff almost perfectly centered behind the elf sitting at the desk. On the sides, wooden bookshelves that went from floor to ceiling lined the walls, countless scroll cases neatly organised in a literary version of a wine rack with a handful of spots reserved for immaculately placed books.

And as for the elf himself, "Merchant Mitsui, Scholar Asahi, Swordsman Asasaki, Sergeant Iseyer. Thank you for meeting with me today. Please, take a seat." Like all of his kind before, the head of the castle held the appearance of a human in their mid twenties, shimmering blonde hair that dared approach silver spilling gently over his shoulders. I was struck by how much of a ye olden age noble his clothing made him look, making the connection that Iseyer would appear the same if he wore a similar style.

"Thank you for inviting us." Asuka gave a short bow of her head. "I am afraid you have us at a disadvantage however. You know our names, but we do not know yours."

The elf gave an apologetic laugh. "My name is Hadvaar, though it would be in your best interest to attach either Lord or Captain to the front when you address me. My men are rather zealous in their service to me, despite my attempts to curb their enthusiasm."

"Lord? Captain?" Iseyer raised a brow, attention grabbed by the unknown information. "Would it trouble you much to share the story of how both those titles came about?"

"At another time, Sergeant, perhaps come dinner. The missive you delivered to me brings rather troubling news that my counsel are still deliberating upon, and as my guards outside informed me the young miss here would like to engage in some form of trade with us."

Asuka cleared her throat and moved to the edge of her seat. "Yes, concerning that, I am

the leader of a trading guild in my home town of Tolbana, neighbor to the capital of the long since separated Black Iron Kingdom. Swordsman Asasaki here has been assisting me in delivering various goods and plans back to our craftsmen and artisans. While she and her allies have been training in the lands we've been travelling through, I have been visiting with the local rulers to see what sort of exchanges could be made. As the lands are still divided, we've found it beneficial to exchange blueprints and items that could be used to create stronger versions of local creations or even new ones in favor of traditional long term deals."

Hadvaar gave a quick nod, hand flashing through several gestures. A moment later, the door clicked opened and shut, my mind belatedly realising that I had missed somebody in the room.

The silence stretching into a full minute, the five of us waiting for someone to take initiative. Another half dozen seconds passed before Asuka spoke again. "My homelands excluded, we've been through two other regions so far. The first was a desert region, and the creations from there are geared towards maintaining a cool temperature and protection from the sun. The second was a densely forested regions; there the locals emphasised durability and protection from the flora they travelled through."

"What of the monster population?" The elf asked. "Here in Tidal Canyon, the dangers one comes across while on foot vary from large animals with high levels of aggression to the Sahuagin that constantly send scouting units around to pilfer resources from whatever foolhardy traveler they come across."

I inserted myself back into the conversation. "In Bovine Valley, the surrounding troubles were mainly that of cows, some easily four or six times the height of the average human with some of them becoming bipedal as you got further south. On occasion you'd find large mosquitoes and flies searching for their next meal and if you got into the caves you'd have to deal with carnivorous insects with hardened carapaces that required a special head like a mace or serrated edges to deal the most damage." I scrunched up my face, recalling several nests in the northern part of the 3rd floor we had stumbled across. "As for the Lostlorn Forest, the monsters there were mostly sentient trees with a slew of airborne effects and if you found yourself near the cave networks you'd have to deal with spiders, some poisonous, others just extremely protective of their homes or eager for new prey."

Asahi pulled out a few scrolls from the large rucksack he carried around. Unrolling them revealed several sketches of the various weapon and armor designs we had gathered, the drawings made with what seemed to be charcoal blocks.

"These designs are rather unique, and I have no doubt that several of my men would thoroughly enjoy having new equipment to train themselves," Hadvaar said after a moment. "However, the fact remains that these weapons are unsuited for our current situation, and until the lands are restored to the way they once were I cannot make any deals regarding weapons that may not have use to us."

I reflexively glanced down to my quest button, anticipating a notification. "I'm sorry, that's perhaps the second time I've heard that. What exactly do you mean by 'restore the lands'?"

"I suppose it would make sense that you do not know, being a Swordsmen. Tell me, did you participate in the attempt to reclaim the key from the Lostlorn Forest?"

Iseyer shook his head in the negative. "Swordsmen Asasaki did not, Captain. It was claimed well before our meeting."

Hadvaar gave a disappointed hum. "Regardless, there are seven still connected regions of which we elves inhabit. The most important region contains the Royal Elf Castle, currently occupied by the Dark Elves." Hadvaar crossed his arms, face furled in consternation. "Long ago, when the castle's construction had only just finished, it was the Forest Elves who held control over it. At the time, it was an offering from the humans we were in contact with. According to the legends, there was a very prominent peace treaty enforced by various races of the world; the castle served as a show of goodwill. It was situated in a place that intersected numerous trade routes and during its construction a special place was made that for as long as we can recall was referred to as the 'Sanctuary'. What exactly it was has been lost through the ages, but what we do know was that what was held inside had the potential to fix calamities. And as fate would have it, there is a very significant calamity that has occured."

"The Great Separation," Asahi posed.

"The Great Separation," Hadvaar confirmed. "Countless regions sequestered away into this floating castle that appeared from nowhere. Communications from our brethren cut off, our magic reduced to mere parlor tricks, and our bows cursed to never hit a mark. Whatever delusions the Dark Elves have convinced themselves of, it is enough that they have never once accepted our way of thinking concerning your ancestor's secret, humans. Somehow, they have got it in their heads that opening the doors to the Sanctuary will result in ruination; fools, our way of life is already ruined. We do not belong here, we belong back in our own world, surrounded by our own people."

I swallowed, staring down at the desk. Even if the context was completely different, the captain's words striked deep within me.

"To be able to return to our homeland is the hope of all Forest Elves trapped on this construct," Iseyer spoke. "Captain, do you perchance have a way to reclaim the keys?"

"Unfortunately, the key from this floor was already claimed. The plan we do have though involves dealing a heavy blow to the Fallen Elves hiding in this region, though whether it will impact them in the long run can't be said for certain."

I glanced once more at the button for my quest log, wondering if an exclamation point would appear over someone's head. "What happened?"

"The Fallen Elves managed to sway some of my leaders into working as agents for them. I know not what promises were given, but a significant amount of my men were convinced into waging an assault against the Dark Elves north east of here. The attack went unsuccessful, but from it we learned that the Lord of their castle was not as crippled as we previously thought. Their combat prowess on the other hand is still exactly where we believed, barring a few individuals and two Swordsmen that were aiding them during the fight."

"A boy garbed in black and a female clothed in red?" I asked.

"That would be an accurate description, yes."

I crossed my arms and retreated into my seat, thoughts whirling at the additional evidence of my suspicions. _Why is this happening? This world is supposed to be a single player storyline with the monsters and events being multiplayer. One player's actions in a quest shouldn't be effecting how another's plays out._

"Indeed, Trader Mitsui." I jerked my head up, irritated that I had missed something. "Once we recovered our men from the false attack, I sent a few scouts into the surrounding lands to search for traces of the Fallen Elf encampment. That message you delivered brought back favorable news. As we speak what officers I have left are pouring over the information to devise a strategy."

Attempting to weave myself back into the conversation, "So how do we fall into this?" Beside me Asuka, Asahi, and Iseyer were equal parts excited and pensieve; Iseyer significantly more composed than my fellow humans.

"Truthfully, once I heard word that fabled Swordsmen were at our doorstep it was my wish, nay, my desire, to ask for your assistance. We would of course be willing to compensate you for your efforts, perhaps even with some of our weapons and armors which we now have a surplus of."

A quartet of windows flashed into existence before me, each detailing the interests of those around me. "I'll have to check with the rest of my companions," I said with a sigh, dismissing the windows. "While I myself would have no issue with knocking down some Fallen Elves, my companions aren't as battle hardened as me. It's entirely possible they'd wish for a few more days of relaxation."

"As much time as you need, Swordsmen Asasaki. However, we would very much prefer to have an answer by the morrow. Information can change quickly, and if we dally too long then our chance to attack would slip past."

"Of course." I glanced over at the merchant, a hint of disappointment frolicking through her hopeful expression. "But that still leaves the matter of Mitsui's goals."

"As yes," Hadvaar coughed into a fist. "Pardon my digression. Excuse me for questioning, but what exactly do you intend to do with all the information you acquire?"

"For a good hundred years or so we've been stuck in our own lands. It's only recently that the winds have started blowing in a different direction." Asuka looked up from her clasped hands, a fierce determination in her eyes. "The same as you, we were pulled away from our neighbors and forced into isolation. With the appearance of the Swordsmen, we might still be in isolation but at least now we have a way to contact each other. As a merchant and the inheritor of the most influential trading guild, it is my duty to distribute as much information as possible. Societies grow when new ideas are passed around, I'm tired of seeing stagnation in my own lands, and I'm sure you've seen it here as well. I know as an elf you are less bothered by the passage of time, but humans are not."

Hadvaar broke out in laughter, standing up with a broad smile. "Humans can be so unpredictable." He reached over with a hand. "Miss Mitsui, let us talk more after dinner. The three of you have given me much to think about, and I must see how my lieutenants are dealing with the missive."

"Until this evening then, Lord Hadvaar."

"Oh, and do wait for my aide to return before you take any turns. I have asked her to acquire several badges for you and your companions to have passage in our halls."

In the silence after the aide gave us our passes at the first diverging hall, I could no longer hold back my tongue. "You know for the inheritor of a merchant guild said to have been spread across an entire kingdom I can't but feel like you failed that exchange."

"I know, you don't need to tell me that. I should have pressed harder to do the deal there instead of later in the evening, and now he knows exactly what it is I'm interested in." Red tresses shook from side to side. "Ugh, I've completely shamed my entire heritage."

"To be fair, Miss Mitsui, you've grown up in a world that was already complacent and willing to work with you. Previous regions aside, Lord Hadvaar is of a different race; that alone made your situation a significant challenge."

I placed a hand on the red head's back as she wallowed in self-depreciation, doing my best to follow up on Asahi's perhaps needless moral support. "What will you be doing in the meantime, Iseyer? I'm sure the rest of my guild would like me to join them in training."

"I believe I will be exploring the castle," he responded, stroking his chin fondly. "It's been some time since I've last been able to enjoy our architecture. Mayhaps I might even stop by the fishing docks, enjoy an hour or so there."

"If you catch a big enough haul, let us know so we can thank you." I smirked, pressing a finger into the cheek of the still comatose Asuka. "I think the Inheritor and I will be down in the training field." With only a single nod, the elven sergeant split from us at the next stairwell, his assigned guard following after.

"Hey, Mitsui." I walked in front of her, leaning over to peek into her face. "You realize it wasn't a total loss, right?" When she looked up, "I mean yeah, it's probably not the best that he already knows what you want, knows what you're offering, and was able to establish the next time you're meeting, but it's not like he didn't give you the offer or wasn't interested once you started talking about your reasons for doing everything, right?"

"Asasaki, I'm perfectly aware of all that. I'm just disappointed in myself for letting my emotions get the better of me when I shouldn't have let them."

"Ah." I cleared my throat, completely empathizing with her. On more than a handful of occasions I had failed something without severe consequences, but the sheer fact that I had failed when I knew I should have succeeded left a severe sense of distaste. I looked to Asahi for assistance, the scholar complacently adjusting of a lock of hair behind his ear. _Well you're completely worthless._ The conversation seemingly over, we continued our trek through the inhabited labyrinth, eventually resorting to asking a group of patrolling guards for directions to the courtyard the others had set up in.

Upon arrival I was immediately struck by how Yamaguchi effortlessly held his own against Klein and Haru, the head of the Explorer's utilizing his unique one handed claymore and shield to dazzling effect for a hybrid of defense and offense. Despite his tools being meant for one aspect of combat, he was able to use them for the other; a downward sweep of his sword would block a strike with his shield jabbing out and nailing the other aggressor with the edge. A traditional shield parry created an opening for his weapon to lash out and trail red along Klein's face. Compared to my own staccato style movements, his was infinitely more flowing, like the aspects of wind and water held by a mountain of a man, his skill never faltering in the flames of his aggressors.

"He's going easy on them."

"That's what training is supposed to be, Asahi. When you're instructing somebody in history, you don't give them all information up front, right?"

"Er…"

"Oh fine," Asuka waved a hand to the side, the movement distracting me from the fight. "I suppose at the start it's alright to overload their mind, but as time goes on you need to break things down so they can understand them better; be able to see each concept and figure out on their own as well as with what you teach them how to recombine them into newer and better things. Like that shield bash into a stab he's about to do."

Her prediction came true; Klein's attempt at a system assisted Parting Clouds was disrupted by Yamaguchi's shield cutting through the curved blade user's path of attack, unbalancing him on top of forcing the Post Motion. Barely a fraction of a second passed before the giant of a man stepped forward into a full body thrust, his blade spearing Klein completely through his diaphragm. _He's going to feel that one in the morning._

A push kick removed the offending hunk of digital meat. Yamaguchi whirled around and chopped through the air behind him, Haru barely able to drop to the floor in time. Momentum retained by an upward curve, the massive blade dropped like an axe, stopping mere breadths from Haru's head. Were this a scripted scene in a video game, I have no doubt that the strike would have created a downburst of air. "That's enough."

With a precision Klein and the others could only dream of, Yamaguchi marched back to the edge of the sparring arena marked by a series of pebbles, his weapons resting before him with sword tucked behind shield. "Reflect on the lessons you learned today. Tomorrow we shall train again."

"Is this a common occurrence?" I questioned, watching my guild leader hobble off with a grimace, clutching at his 'wound'.

"Became a daily occurrence, at least when they were with us. You were off elsewhere when they got started. For the most part they would be running through drills, but one day Dale asked the Captain for a fight immediately after. Once that happened, the rest starting asking to join in." Asuka gave a short hum. "We've watched your fights enough that Yamaguchi and Hibiki know most of your starting positions for your current pool of unique attacks, but it's when you throw in normal strikes that it becomes a bit more challenging for them; more so than usual at any swordsmen grow so differently from us. One day they'd have a complete read on you guys, the next everything is thrown off balance because of your 'level ups'."

"That's magic for you," I said simply, unable to come up with a more tactful response aside from 'We're players'. With the short break completed, Yamaguchi stepped back into the ring, this time Harry and Issin his opponents. Compared to the hyperactive movement of Klein and Haru, the shield and spear users were much more controlled. Their assault was less intensive, but watching them felt more like seeing a well practiced team than two people sharing the same goal.

Where Harry would stick to the Tolbanian leader with unerring fanaticism, Issin would slip in and out, taking advantage of any openings he saw while creating new ones for his partner to utilize. Eventually the situation turned completely around. No longer standing still and merely responding to his aggressors, Yamaguchi wrested control of the battle with speedy steps, forcing my guildmates to react to his motions in kind. Despite their numerical superiority, the duo weren't able to maintain an advantage for any significant length of time, only able to sneak in a pair of hits every so often before their instructor reset the fight.

"How long have you guys been going at this?" I asked Klein when we moved down to the courtyard.

"About forty minutes or so. At first we were doing group practice, but after twenty minutes of that Captain Yamaguchi started calling us to spar against him. I swear the system must be bugged or something. He's actually a level or two lower than us, but I'm pretty sure that we'd need a five level advantage just to be able to do something worthwhile against him."

"He has the Battle Healing skill," I noted. Every few seconds his health would jump several notches, coincidentally spaced between attacks and defense. Whether it was a purposed accident from the developers or had something to do with a breathing pattern I couldn't tell. "It's got to be a pretty high level, that or his numerical health isn't that high."

"Yeah, you're right." Klein leaned forward and squinted. "I can't believe I never noticed that before."

"Looks like that's something everybody will need to work on then; paying attention to the minute details of a fight." I pulled out my blade, flipping it into a proper grip. "This area is a safe zone, right?"

"Yup. Those of us with Battle Healing have been rotating for spars. The others are sticking to practicing their basics and working on muscle memory while they recover. There's no need to waste potions."

"Mm, that's a pretty smart idea." I took a few steps away, Ryoutarou understanding the message once I stopped.

"50%?" He asked, initiating the duel.

"50%," I confirmed, checking all the settings. 60 seconds. That was how long we had before PvP became enabled, a trait carried over from the beta. But just because we couldn't actually fight, it wasn't as if we couldn't move around. Circling, advancing, retreating; anything to gain a brief edge in combat. For my companions it worked well in theory, but in practice it was still a rather lengthy discussion. As the timer ticked towards zero I rushed forward, Klein entering a defensive stance in response.

I feinted a lunging stab, moving into a rising knee that sent him stumbling back. Unsure of his recovery time, I unleashed a Comet Cannon, diving into a roll to my left once the post motion ended. Footsteps precluded a fist slamming into my cheek. In the moment I wasn't looking, Klein unleashed a three hit sword skill from the recently unlocked tier I had yet to explore. As he reared back for the final hit, the system imposed stagger sent me back a half step. Disoriented as I was, my instincts pulled my body into Hunting Prey followed by a Crescent Moon, taking a few short steps back while he recovered from the knock up.

"God, what is with you and knocking my head around?" The brunet wiped his lips with the back of his glove, sword held ready by his side.

I tilted my head, a sly smile on my face. "Disorientation is another facet of fighting; think of it as a mind game." _Also totally not pay back for landing that combo on me._

"Yeah, a mind game that keeps making me think I've bitten my tongue off."

"Then learn to anticipate it." I Sprinted in, sliding past and leaping into spinning hook kick that connected with his head. "Dodge, dammit!" I closed the gap with another set of Sprint aided steps, taking advantage of his still extended free hand and executing an arm lock behind his back, shoving him away with a push kick. "C'mon, Klein! You've been off gallivanting with the rest of the guild in various places, you've been fighting alongside the Shu'kechuun, you can _not_ be telling me you haven't picked up even a bit of skill!"

Klein slowly rose up from the ground, his form still.

"Treat me like an enemy already! If you aren't coming at me with your all then all you're going to learn from this is how to fall!" I charged back in, leaping over his body and striking out with my blade. A knee suddenly met my head, the force increased by the yanking tang that slipped through one of Tormenting Reaver's curves. What felt like a pommel slammed into my stomach upon my shaky landing and another unknown multi-hit strike landed, the slashes whipping me around.

My response was a feinted slash, a spinning crouch taking me around and letting me score an angry red along his armored back, another opening created by a kick to the back of his knee. A stab was aborted into a block, Klein's blade clanging against the flat of mine. "Good block," I commented after his next attack. "Make sure you-" _Well that's a game face if I've ever seen one._

The next series of exchanges were with an intensity I hadn't expected from Klein. Every strike he made was meant for a brute forced critical, the man trying to take advantage of his higher strength stat. In the end it was inexperience that caused Klein to lose, the last portions of his designated health knocked away by single limbed Martial Arts skills while I kept our weapons locked against each other.

"Nice work, Klein. I'm pretty sure if you remembered to keep use unarmed strikes you might've been able to get something done." I lowered myself into a squat, crouching over his prone form.

Hand shielding his eyes from the sun, Ryoutarou merely grunted. "Aren't you specialized in unarmed combat?"

"Supported by a knife or baton depending on the situation, but it's close enough." I glanced at my health bar, the gauge slightly past the point of turning yellow. Klein's strength stat wasn't as monstrous as Agil's, but a clean punch from my guild leader would easily have knocked off anywhere from three to five percent of my health. "Lemme ask you something." The two of us moved over to the side, resting on the simplistic stone benches. "In regards to combat, what am I to you?"

"What?"

"Sorry, I might have phrased that poorly." I hummed, unnecessarily stretching out my legs. "When you think of me and combat, especially in regards to you and everybody else, how would you describe me?"

"Well, I guess." Klein leaned forward, focusing on a random point in front of him. "Bruiser? Assassin? Evasion Tank?" He grunted and sat up, arms crossed. "You can deal damage just fine, but you're not able to take it. Because of the way you fight, you can reset a situation and buy the rest of us time."

"So would you say you trust me?" Issin and Harry's fight with the Tolbana Captain had finally ended, the shield user once again bearing a pensive look. As they walked away Issin presumably talked about the fight, going over his own observations while Harry worked on his own mental conclusions.

"Of course I trust you. What brought this on?"

I stood up on the bench and pressed my middle and index finger against his forehead. "So how come when you fought me there was hesitance in every single one of your strikes until I told you to stop?" I sat back down with a huff. "Don't say you trust me and then not give me your all when we're fighting. Being nice during training is how people get killed. It's better to shatter people's perceptions of themselves under controlled circumstances than out in the field."

"You think I don't know that?"

"I don't think you _know_ that," I emphasised. "So c'mon. Spill. How come you were holding back at first?"

"Asasaki…" I pressured him once more, digging into his side a little with my elbow. "It's because you almost died."

"Well, duh." I shook my head, a soft laugh slipping out with my breath. "More than a handful of times. Haven't we had this conversation?"

Klein jerked towards me, eyes wide. "How can you be so blasé about this?"

"It's exactly because I've done it so often, Klein." By this point, the rest of our guild had returned to running laps around the courtyard, holding their weapons over their head in an attempt to increase the amount of 'exhaustion' they could accrue before needing to break. "Why do you fight, Klein?" I asked after a while.

"What?"

"Why do you fight? Why do you head out to fight monsters, collect resources, all of it. Why do you do it?" I rested my hands on the stone beneath me, staring up at the partially clouded ceiling above us.

Klein shuffled. It was hard to tell what was going on through his mind, and eventually he settled on staring skyward as well. "I fight because I-"

"What are you two staring at?"

I glanced down, following Issin's gaze upwards before realizing he was trying to figure out what was holding our attention. "Just focusing on nothing while we hold a conversation. No big deal."

Mr. Paintbrush gave me a skeptical look, a teasing grin on his face. "Well, you're going to have to put your conversation on hold for now. The elves gave us a lunch invitation, and considering all of our meat stores from the past couple days mysteriously vanished we should take them up on their offer."

I rolled my eyes at his smirk, more than aware that my parting gift to the Explorer's had been explained to everyone in the guild.

"Klein, you coming?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Another beat passed before Klein stood up, distractedly following after us.

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 _Their security is pretty good for being isolated for almost a century, even if the guards aren't are focused as they should be._ The message had arrived only a few hours after midnight, the priority flag overriding my nightly 'do not disturb' settings. Slipping out of my room had been done with the ease of all my previous escapes. Slipping down to one of the side courtyards was a little more difficult, but patience was something I could flourish in spades.

"Swordsman Asasaki out late."

I took a breath, forcing myself not to flinch. "And so are you, Rhaan." I glanced down at the tiny black bear cub sitting down beside the beat tamer. It had taken us all by surprise when the goblin had hopped onto the gondola with the beast, his spirits almost fully restored after the loss of his war bird back during the fight on the third floor.

"Small One needs more training. Swordsman Dale happy to provide meat." The first time I had seen the goblins give their toothy smile, I was expecting a fight to break out. Now I was aware that expectation would have been more suited for when their lips were pulled all the way back and angular instead of the slight curve it head. "Where Asasaki going?"

"Down to the first floor," I said. "There's a monster that needs taking care of."

"Why are other Swordsmen not with you?"

"I've handled it before, and there's already a team that deals with it. There's no need to bother them this late, anyway." I shrugged, internally waving away the concerns raised by Rhaan's words.

"Swordsman Asasaki is not around teammates much," he commented. "Morning training and meals are not enough to raise companionship. Allies must fight by each others side to grow stronger. Is how Ol'dekhaan take down giant bear in forest without talking like Swordsmen. This Ol'dekhaan knows each other like sharpness of own claws; no need for second guessing because abilities not in doubt."

I stared through an archway that led outside, false moonlight dancing on the surface of the water. "I know, Rhaan. I'm more than aware of that. Even if everybody tells me that I fit in, I'm only a stop gap, something that only works by happenstance and not original intention." I took another breath, holding it in for a few seconds before slowly releasing it. "But I'll be working on it. There's no excuse for me be standoffish anymore. It's already been two months and I've made my decision on who I'm sticking with." _I don't care that I'm a foreigner, that I'm still learning customs, that I've been inserted into a unit that already has their own style of operation. If we want to work together, we have to meld properly._

"Swordsman Asasaki strong. Perhaps too strong. Other Swordsmen not like her, are not experienced in battled and desire to kill. Swordsman Asasaki should not be part of Guild Fūrinkazan like Ol'dekhaan are not part of Tribe Shukechuun. Should be smaller group, unique but linked. Perhaps Swordsman Asasaki work better that way." The goblin and pet shambed off without another word, the bear constantly sniffing after the sack of meat Rhaan moved around.

"Don't be apart of Fūrinkazan?" I shook my head. "I mean I can see it," I trailed off, opening my status window and staring at the four white diamonds neatly spaced to form a bigger one. _Doing something on your own doesn't mean you don't value the people you're associated with any less. Behind the scenes work just means making it easier for the main show._ "No, I can't falter now," I decided. "I need to stick to my convictions."

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"This is different from last time." I fought back a shiver, pulling my cloak tighter around me. Upon arriving at the first floor, I'd found myself wandering a snow covered region, the usual greens and browns blanketed by endless white. It was entirely unlike the snowfall from late december; every single monster carried with it a small flurry of powder that would deal damage and vision had been reduced to almost 20% of its normal amount.

"What's going on is new, but not entirely unexpected." Shen sheathed his blade, the remnants of the wolf he had slain drifting into the night sky. "Tonight marks the night we acquire the last piece of the outfit. Regarding which," The leader of Fūmaningun turned to face me, his expression hidden behind his ever present facemask. "When we first spoke of you assisting us, we agreed that you would merely be holding onto the equipment until we finished it."

I pulled open my inventory, staring at the Frostborn gear. It wasn't often that I was able to use it, both because its upgrade requirements had reached the point where the materials were completely unknown to us and its uniqueness dissuaded me from ever donning it in public, but simply by carrying it I had developed a large amount of attachment. "You're the leader of the guild that discovered this boss. I'll return it whenever you'd like me to, be it now or after the battle."

"You misunderstand me, Lady Asasaki. It is our wish that you keep the armor, provided of course you continue to assist us whenever possible."

"You want me to keep it?" I parroted. "Not that I'm not ungrateful, but any particular reason why?"

"Only that we've appreciated your company these past few weeks," Shen answered.

Taro spoke up, the strategan and projectile user typing away at something. "With the armor no longer being offered, we would of course be willing to pay you for your efforts. Resources, cor, information. We are shinobi after all. Exchanging services for services would simply be incidental considering our line of work."

"I don't think you've ever actually talked about your 'line of work'," I remarked. Moving between Shen and Taro, the two men guided us through the forest towards the rest of their clan. Since our reunion, the three of us had been playing patrol; guiding other players out of the area, making note of spawning patterns for the information brokers to try and make sense out of, and most importantly, figuring out exactly what these modified wolves meant for the upcoming boss fight.

"We're on the last twenty wolves, Master Shen."

 _Thanks for the info, guys. I'm sure your line of work won't come up in the future as something I'll have issues with._

"Let the plan proceed as normal," the elder told Taro. "Make sure each team remembers to have somebody stay back to observe any new changes." Not much later, a bone shaking howl tore through the air, the temperature dropping to barely above bone chilling. The three of us weaving Sprint with normal running, Shen led the way towards the spawn point, Taro calling out differences as we received them.

A breathless laugh escaped my lips, instantly turning into mist. "We should've brought a tank." Mánagarmr seethed as it stalked towards a prone ninja, the center of its forehead gleaming a shining powder blue. With every step it took snow and ice whirled into the air, the health of those within its field steadily dropping.

"All ranged units, harass it where you can!" Instantly a salvo of system assisted throwing picks flew through the air, Mánagarmr flinching away and turning towards one of the offending players. "Melee, chip away at its health and maintain aggro!" Shen turned to me, mask contorting with his expression. "Asasaki, protect those that suffer status effects and deal damage where you can. This is going to be a battle of attrition. All units, down a freeze and paralysis preventative!"

"C'mon, buddy, time to fall back for a bit." I pulled back the fallen ninja, helping them to their feet once we got out of range.

"The AoE field applies a stacking slow the longer you're in it," he uttered, downing a few items.

 _Now where have I heard that before?_

Before the fights with Mánagarmr had been reduced to merely fifteen minutes. With the localized flurry among other new and enhanced moves the fight had been extended to a full hour, a fourth of our supplies having been burned through in the first ten minutes. The rest of our supplies were maintained by rotating out our melee units to hold aggression while Taro and Shen's nephew Sora tried to learn the timing. Once that had happened, it became a matter of patience and determination to whittle down the Envoy of the Eclipse, the best collapsing with a final flare of skyward snow.

"Lady Asasaki, here. The last piece of the outfit." I accepted the trade, the tired ninja around me sitting up to watch.

"Really know how to make a girl feel nervous, y'know?" I tapped each item in succession, the newly acquired headpiece replacing the cloth and leather cowl Shen had given me. "So how does it look?" I asked, turning around slowly.

"Exactly as I remember it." Shen nodded to himself, a few others doing the same. "Tell me, Asasaki, is your vision impaired in any way?"

"No, everything's fine- wait, hold on." I reached up and pulled the wolf head back, blinking at the sudden reappearance of red and green on their uniforms. "This thing imposes a color blindness on me." I pulled it back over, chalking up the normal field of view I had to system shenanigans. Were it not for that, my sight would have been extremely limited considering that the headgear was a mask that fit over the top half of my head with tinted eyeholes. "Definitely feels different physically, that's for sure. I'm not even moving and I feel so alive." Resonating through my body was undulating waves of energy, the surges feeling very much like the tingle of Acrobatics or Sprint in motion.

"That would likely be the set effects." Taro moved closer, motioning for me to hold my arms up while I continued modeling. "The full details should be on your status window. From what we remember, the outfit should enhance your Sprint ability, Searching ability, and Hide ability while in forested regions with a greater effect when its snowing."

"And if I don't have them? The skills, I mean." I stared at the lingering buffs nestled in the corner of my status ribbon. While the bar didn't have any extra information aside from my earlier consumables, I had no doubt the effects of the outfit were in play.

"Then you'll have the skills at the related level. The bonuses themselves aren't too extreme, but-"

"A flat increase of 50 is still a significant amount," I replied, reading through my more thorough window. "Especially at our levels."

"Precisely." Shen subtly looked around at his men, each of them still staring at me though doing their best not to make their observations come across as lewd. "Miss Asasaki, my men and I will retire for the evening. It was a tiring battle and Taro and I must reflect upon what we shall be doing for our next target. Our informants have been notifying us that a few other groups have been asking for the same information as us, so we have reason to suspect that it won't be too long until we come across other groups with boss specific gear."

"Go on ahead then. I'm going to stick around for another hour or so to get used to this gear." I gave a few short hops, mind twitching at the modified sensory input it was receiving. The powder kicked up by their retreat drifted back to the ground, each set of footprints only going three steps at most before disappearing from their leaps. "The effect only occurs while in snow or a forest," I murmured. "Wonder if the area those Fallen Elves are in an area high enough for snow to occur."

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The next day breakfast had been a quiet affair. During the odd but comfortable silence at the table, Captain Radhaar had extracted a promise from Klein to have an answer by midday. Fully aware we'd be spending the majority of the day at the castle, everyone had agreed to dedicate the day to training.

 _And thus I find myself partaking in my first combat Contract quest._ "Are you sure about this, Mitsui?" I fingered the hilt of my sword, the sibling of the merchant's «Dragonwind Schiavona» still tucked away in my inventory until I had the required level for it.

"Of course I am. Barring Asahi, the little bookworm, everybody else spars with their Contractor on a semi-daily basis. And even if I don't plan on entering these large battles of yours, it's still important for me to improve my combat abilities. One never knows when I'll find myself lost and alone somewhere with only my weapons and my wits to protect me."

"Yeah, weapons." I stared at Asuka's stomach, a parrying dagger that would still work wonders as a stabbing implement gripped behind her back. Dual wielding of course meant that she wouldn't be able to use any weapon skills, but the fact that she had trained directly under the beast Yamaguchi was enough to make me completely paranoid about her actions. "I'll start first then."

"Please do!"

 _Her stance is pretty decent. That dagger behind her back is kind of odd, but her weight distribution means she can respond with her rapier both offensively and defensively._

 _ **Stop overthinking things. Just go in and adapt on the fly. It's not like you've fought against rapiers before, so no prior experience could even be used.**_

I let out rush of air. Blade swinging through emptiness, a rounded edge slammed into my rib cage. Asuka's weapon sung twice through small chinks in my armor, the tip of the metal forcing its way through into digital flesh. Before I could respond, the springy blade cut across my face, red hair billowing backwards to almost the exact same distance as when we'd started. Not even three seconds and the merchant had already displayed a superiority that took me by surprise. The movements were all the same as when we had fought together in the Lostlorn Forest but having them used against me instead of beside me was something different. "Damn that stung. But still, you're making me pretty excited, Mitsui."

"Good. You've been kind of dull the past few days." The woman held her blade towards me resolutely, not a shake to be found.

My slashing feint into a crouching pommel jab struck true, Mitsui crumpling with the hit. Proving that buns and short hair were always superior during hand to hand, I grabbed onto her ponytail and held her head in place while I introduced my knee to her forehead repeatedly, a follow-up manual four hit combo from my left leg sending her sprawling backwards to the floor. "Groan twice if you can still keep going."

"Foul play," she managed, pushing herself to her feet.

"I'm not like the Tolbanian Explorer's, Mitsui. When I fight I fight for keeps, not for play. Whatever Yamaguchi's taught you, whatever lessons you've learned from your texts, if you're not expecting brutality you're not ready for a proper fight." I moved into a modified boxer's stance, torso more angled than squared to better accommodate my sword. "If you're really determined to maintain grace and composure, get ready to say hi to the ground pretty often until you gain enough practical knowledge."

Without responding, Asuka took initiative and charged in, every stab and flick giving nothing but surety in their commands. Had I not been paying hard attention to her movements, the strikes would likely have been leaving red all along my body, each one of her rapid flicks and thrusts dancing from side to side. Wary of the proverbial scorpion's tail her off hand represented, my responses were made by hooking her weapon or forcing her off balance after one of her more verbose strikes, feet and fists reprimanding her until she finally learned how to respond.

By the time she had called for a break (something I was secretly relieved for), a small contingent of Forest Elves had gathered around us, some stoically watching while others, notably more inexperienced than their comrades, cheered ecstatically. "Ah hah…" Mitsui sheathed her weapons away and took a partial step behind me to hide her embarrassment, only moving forward to return the attention after clearing her throat.

"Your moves lacked the grace of us elves, but there was an admirably efficiency to your moves, human."

I turned to look at the elf that walked closer to us, wondering how expensive such a bulky yet slim set of armor would be in real life. "I've been getting that a lot recently, the whole 'brutal efficiency'. A fight isn't supposed to be nice," I said. "Asasaki, by the way. And please, no need for the formality unless it's tradition or something. I've never been much for titles."

"Perhaps in private then, Swordsman Asasaki. It would be scandalous if one of my station didn't give such an honored one such as yourself the proper respect. My name is Thel'dora, by the way." The newly named elf gave a short bow. "I'm the drill instructor of the men in this castle."

"A pleasure." Mitsui and I joined the armored elf at the side of the enclosure, watching the gathered elves form into formation. In short order, they began going through a set of drills, the sound of short, breathy kiai's (as opposed to traditional explosive yells) bouncing off the walls. "I hope we weren't intruding on your training session?"

"Not at all, Swordsman. In fact, you actually helped us a little." The dark green haired male looked up at the sky, a contemplative sound emanating from his throat. "Provided everything works out as we hope, it will be very likely that we will work together in the future."

Despite just completing a fight, my body still cried for me to go through my own set of exercises, my mind creating the illusory sensations of a longing in my muscles that I hadn't felt in months. "Perhaps we will." After another moment, Thel'dora walked off, taking command of the training.

"Physical training is so nice," Asuka started. "Unlike verbal skills, there's an actual measurement of progress you can see at any time. Snuffing out candles with only a punch, stabbing something more than three times before a tossed ball drops," the woman shifted her weight onto a single leg, the tip of her other foot and both of her hands moving behind her.

"Why do you fight?" I blurted.

"Because it's a necessary skill?" Asuka responded in confusion. "Back when the lands were still connected, raiders weren't a too uncommon thing. If people didn't know how to fight, they would be hidden either behind the walls or in the mines. As the head of the Trading Guild, it's expected of me to know my way around a weapon. Invaders aside, there's also monsters and other aggressors that we'd come across while travelling. It would be incredibly negligent of me to not be able to hold my own should that occur.

"I- sorry." I shook my head. "Me having been part of the military, an extended period without combat is incredibly strange. But everybody else," I shrugged, letting the silence speak for itself. "Considering how everybody came back from that dungeon on the other side of the mountain, I can't help but wonder if they'll still be willing to fight, or if their wills have been diminished in some fashion. Speaking of which," I glanced at the clock in my upper right. "It's about time I went and found them. They should be winding down from their run. Normally they'd have done it in the morning a little after I start, but-"

"But once they saw exactly what their bedding was made out of they all agreed to sleep in for the day?" Asuka giggled. "Asahi and myself did the exact same thing. I woke up to Takeshi standing over me glowering. I'm pretty sure if I was a prisoner he would have been holding a sword at my face."

 _That sounds about right._ "I'll see you later then, Asuka."

"Don't jump off any walls!" She called out.

"No promises!" With a not insignificant amount of questioning later, I sauntered down the stairs to the fishing docks, a few dozen elves working a variety of fishing implements at the very ends of the stone structures. In the shallows, the seven men of Fūrinkazan were rotating through a handful of push up variations, each incarnation targeting different groups of muscles were this reality. After figuring out the order, I joined them in the water, boots shunted to my inventory and pant legs rolled up. "You guys been here long?"

"Not too long," Dale grunted, getting a faceful of slightly salty water as he dropped to all fours. "Only about twenty minutes or so. We just finished up our run around the castle." Rise. "Nice place." With a forceful huff, the chef tucked his knees in and swung them forward, splashing onto his back and performing a sit up before rollings backwards onto his feet.

"You think the elves on sentry ever jump off the cliffs once their shifts are over?" I added an extra clap to this set, springing onto my feet alongside everyone else.

In between each motion, "Sentries? What are you talking about?"

"I didn't notice yesterday, but there's some natural walkways along the cliff sides. It's a mix of slopes and rope netting attached to the faces." The paths were a bit hard to spot, but during my search for the rest of the guild I'd noticed some movement alongside the surroundings. A bit of focusing let me trace the routes and I doubted I would have noticed them were it not for my boredom.

"That explains why we saw some boats earlier with soldiers accompanying the fishers."

"Alright, gang! That's enough for now. Take an hour to yourselves for studying. Skills, weapons, papers from Argo or the other information brokers. No extensive physical activity though! Dis-missed!"

The others gave a loud acknowledging yell, breaking off into various groups and resting on the higher walkway. Harry and Klein continued to stay in the water, the hands of the younger tapping on various windows he was sharing.

"Morning." Haru stopped beside me, hand raised in greeting. "How'd your fight with Mitsui go?"

"Harder than I'd like to admit. It's been a while since I've actually had to fight against somebody trained. Even if she has experience it was still aggravating relearning that not everyone here is a cake walk for me."

"Ever the humble one, aren't you, Asasaki?" The man chuckled and shook his head. "The rest of us learned that not too long ago. The Tolbanians might not have any sword skills, but they definitely have skills with the sword."

"Funny, I swear I said that the first day I met all of you." I nodded towards Klein, trying to catch up to what the two leaders were talking about.

"Good to see you again, Little Miss Ninja." The brunet gave me a disapproving look, fists resting on his hips. "We tried talking to you last night, but you up and disappeared on us. Only reason we didn't freak out too hard was because a certain beast taming goblin happened to see you slip off. I know you've got your own stuff to do, things that we've come to call 'ninja training', but it'd be nice to be in the know and not be able to find you where we expect you to be."

"What Klein means to say is, please let us know if you plan on heading somewhere. The Friends List stops the heart attacks, but they still end up happening when we can't contact you."

"Maybe she went off to fight a secret monster that only spawns when a floor boss gets defeated," Haru joked dryly.

"The sad thing is, I can believe it." Klein and Harry stared me down, disappointment and expectancy mixed in equal measures.

"Alright, alright," I folded. "Just stop looking at me like that. Yeesh, five years difference at least but your heights make me feel like I'm getting scolded by my uncles."

Harry held up his pointer and thumb, the space between them approximately two inches. "I'm barely five centimeters taller than you," he said quietly.

"Look, I swear I'll spend the next couple days with the guild, alright? There's a bigger disconnect between us than normal, and I'm not exactly keen on letting it fester."

Klein muttered something I couldn't catch, his body expressing resignation. "Anyway, we wanted to get you up to speed on the whole quest situation. See, most of us aren't exactly keen on life or death combat for the time being, and as far as we can tell if we accept this quest from the elves that's exactly what we're going to go up against."

"Kunimitzz wants to keep fighting because it's what we have to do if it means getting out of here. As for Choryu and myself, we only want to do it because it means being able to learn more." Harry folded his arms, nodding at the source of the splashing behind me.

"To be honest, those of us that don't want to do the quest are fine with fighting in general; so long as it's on normal monsters that spawn in the fields and not in dungeons and caves. It's in those places where the biggest dangers happen." Issin laid a hand on my head, moving it to my shoulder when I wiped his arm off.

"Whichever way you argue for, Asasaki, we'll follow you. You've been watching over us the past few weeks, so you know exactly where we stand in terms of combat, even if you're not exactly up to date on our recent abilities. Those of us that are against accepting this quest," Klein shrugged, "so long as our friends are by our side we'll do a lot of stupid stuff."

"Seriously?" I mumbled. "Putting me on the spot like this?" _They're not ready for this quest. It's basically going to be an assault on a fortified base. If they're still shaken from the Sahuagin dungeon, there's no way they can handle a proper assault._ I stared into the eyes of the gathered guild. Klein, Issin, Dale, and Dynamm all seemed to plead for me to vote against accepting the quest. Choryu held the same tempered hero worship that evolved past infatuation and into some form of loyalty, while Harry held his usual clinical expectancy from anything interesting. Slowly, my arguments still forming as I spoke, "I think it would be best if we-"

"Ah, swordsmen!" The voice of Hadvaar suddenly rose over the din of the fishers. "Might I have a moment of your time?"

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 _Next chapter ought be up_ _ **August 17th**_ _, but let's not quote me on that._


	29. Inversion

_A note for both myself and the readers: last chapter I referred to Mitsui's new rapier as a 'Dragonwind Schiavona'. Were the materials from the Valley of Dragons (floor 7) that would have been correct, but since they were from the Sand Iron Kingdom (floor 6) the name will thus be 'Sillicatite Schiavona'._

 _This chapter marks a shift in mindset when it comes to my writing approach. Before, it was about meeting a word count per chapter; that being around 7-8k or so. Now that I've proven I can do that, I want to try and work on telling a story in less words, cutting out some of the needless fluff that I may have found entertaining but didn't have a true purpose to be shared._

 _On that note, something about this chapter has been bugging me. I guess it's the way the story and transitions flow (or lack thereof) but hopefully as I continue writing in this style I can improve it._

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 _ **You know if somebody starts going back on their word, one might call them a liar. You could also call them a hypocrite, possibly a backstabber, or any other lovely adjective. But the act itself of doing the complete reserve of what you claim to do? One might call it an Inversion.**_

The morning of January 5th, the Swordsmen of Fūrinkazan set upstream along the river. With the planning we had done well into the evening, it was decided that the majority of the Elven forces would strike from the closer entrance on the southwest side of the mountain as well infiltrating through the waterway passage. Our smaller strike force had been designated for assault via the northern mountain passage and to collect any information we could find.

"Targets in position. On my mark, Dawn."

I took a deep breath and tensed my legs, watching the blurry form of Haru traverse behind the farthest guard. The instant his dagger flew from its sheath I Sprinted onto the walkway, my blade rushing into the stomach of my surprised quarry. "Sleep, it will all be over soon," I whispered, a thin red smile appearing on the soldier's neck. A beat later the corpse started smoking from its wounds, no longer able to hold itself up. As I lowered the corpse to the ground, Haru flung out the equivalent of a flare into the cloister, blue smoke rising into the air. "I'll take point from here. Make sure nothing sneak up on me, yeah?" Together we truly began our attack on the northern fort, the rest of our guild breaking through the wooden gates in the front. The last elf to be slain had died crawling his way towards the southern exit, weapons desperately tossed aside in an attempt to escape. "Status report," I called out as the guild gathered, positioned so that my comrades wouldn't see the decaying elves.

Harry shifted his shield, eyes darting towards a Fallen Elf that had tried and failed to introduce his blade to my stomach. "Minor damage from Blocked attacks. My Battle Healing will fix that shortly."

"My spear took a hard hit; I'll have to drop by a smith next chance we get."

"Still have a backup weapon, Issin?" Klein adjusted his bandana, the barbed sword he had gotten from the Sahuagin in the days past resting comfortably in its sheath.

"Yeah. Slightly lower quality, but only because I haven't upgraded it beyond the first four levels."

"We all need to update our gear." Kunimitzz huffed. "We should drop by the 7th floor once we finish up here."

"Wouldn't be a bad idea to hit up some of the other floors for materials. The tarragons on floor six are pretty varied in the drops they offer." I gave our group another once over, holding their gazes for a few extra moments before moving through the rear door.

#Engage the Fallen Elf Fortress at the appropriate time. Time to begin: 8 minutes, 47 seconds.# With a wave of my hand, the quest information disappeared. _That timer is far too convenient. What would have this quest been like if we'd gone on one of the other routes?_

"I'm going to scout ahead. Please wait here for the time being." A chorus of assent greeted Haru's proclamation, the assassin in training blurring away under the effects of Hide.

 _ **Look at them. It's almost as if we're on a camping trip and not biding our time for another large scale battle.**_

 _I think they're purposely trying not to dwell on it._ I rolled a pebble under my foot around, Issin's boisterous retelling of a high school date barely registering in my ears.

 _ **Now be honest; should they have gone on this quest?**_

I lowered my head slightly, running a finger along the covering of my weapon. _We both know the answer to that._ I took a deep breath, holding it in for a moment before letting it out. As they currently were, Fūrinkazan had no business being here; a fact made worse by the way Fallen Elves dissipated. If they had simply digitized like every other monster, I would have had less reserves. _But since they don't I get to watch their eyes linger on every single corpse we make._

"Hey, Little Miss! Tell us a story, why don'tcha?"

I rolled my eyes and gave a slight smile, joining the original six at the edge of the well trod path. "How about a story from my grade school years? It was the summer of '06, and the carnival had just rolled into town…"

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"Quest start. Let's be smart about this. The Fallen Elves might have sent most of their forces to deal with the Forest Elves, but their leaders and stronger soldiers are probably still inside. Everybody remember the plan?" Acknowledgement given, the eight of us clambered through the window, Klein the last one in thanks to the helping hands of Dynamm and Kunimitzz. By the time we had gained our bearings, Haru had already slipped off for the initial investigation.

"I'll head off next, then." I stepped forward, pausing to change to the ninja garb from Shen. "Take care, alright? There's a restaurant on the sixth floor we can stop at before we go hunting." _They'll be perfectly fine. If they stick together, they'll come out unscathed._ Pushing my fears to the back of my mind I set ahead of the group, feet carrying me soundlessly through the hall and away from the sunlight peeking through an open archway. As I passed by a door on my left Haru's crouched form broke out of his Hide, a hand gesturing me down the hall before reengaging the pseudo invisibility.

#Three targets inside. Take point,# he sent once I stopped at the other entrance.

#Wait for combat then enter.# Plan established, I drew my blade and tested the door, charging in once it gave way. A spear immediately greeted me, my free hand maneuvering the pole over and behind my head. Tormenting Reaver stabbed into the Elf's neck, and both weapons were violently jerked free.

Some fancy footwork and a spin of the spear later, I thrusted the longer weapon into the unprotected abdomen of the elf, changing my grip to block a slash from the overly barbed scimitar of the other Fallen Elf Millites.

"Hyup!" Haru's dagger snaked out from behind his back, the aptly named 'Laminar Slash' drawing red across the forcefully exposed neck of his mark.

 _Durability's too strong. Can't shatter the spear._ I yanked the polearm out and slashed at the sword wielding elf, turning slightly around and driving the butt into the face of the first one. _Need to keep this away from them, numbers be damned._ Sheathing my blade away, I reengaged the two elves, never letting them have a proper moment to deliver more than a single blow to either me or Haru. Once their bodies started emitting purple smoke, only then did I drop the overly long fishing spear to the ground.

"Is there a weapon you're _not_ good with, Da- Asasaki?"

"Don't say good," I reprimanded. "I'm only adequate with most things not counting knives. Fortunately for me, adequate is enough to deal with most of our enemies. A different story when dealing with named monsters though, same as if you were to use that assassinate move on a player." I closed out of the after action window, deigning not to loot the bodies for any items, even if their armor looked like it could be dismantled into a significant amount. "C'mon. You've got a section of your own to explore. Klein only gave us a couple minutes to clear the way."

At the end of our time limit, Haru and I had been forced to message our guild about a potential threat. What we felt to be a larger expanse of the fort turned out to be the resting and dining quarters of three full units of basic Fallen Elf Soldiers. Constrained by the furniture, most of us were limited to thrusts and push attacks although Haru and myself were able to utilize the mobility granted to us by natural ability and dexterity stat to reposition for critical blows.

Once the last of our foes collapsed to the floor, Klein guided us away from the remnants, a strained smile on his face. "Chug potions, everyone. We don't have time to heal up naturally. Asasaki, Choryu, scout ahead once you've taken a breather. Dynamm, take point for Shark Maw formation once we head out."

At Haru's nod, the two of us headed back into the main hall of the fort, this time ready to explore the southern half. "I wonder what Fūrinkazan was like in other games," I murmured to him. "Do you think their joviality was always there?"

"Probably. A game is meant to distract, after all. I'm sure they had some disagreements, but probably nothing that created huge problems." When the hall split into two, each of us silently went down the opposite path, light filtering in from the end of my path.

As I approached a wooden door at the far wall, clashing metal from the courtyard stole my attention. #Contacts, left path,# I sent off. Without waiting for a response, I charged into the sunlight, taking in the four heavily armored forms fighting against three familiar Forest Elves.

"Swordsman, assistance!"

Sprinting between Iseyer's and Hadvaar's fights, I drove «Pierce the Sun» into the flat of the spear of one of the Fallen Elves, letting loose a parting shot as I ran past to force the walking tank's focus onto me. _This is bad. I don't have the damage to break through that armor._

 _ **Stop treating it like reality, this world is based on numbers.**_

The barbed spear flashed out, each thrust forcing me to contort my body. The moment my foe stepped back for another barrage I moved deep into his range and let go a «Crescent Moon», crouching down into the starting motion for Comet Cannon. Adjusted feet on the second strike let me veer off to the right, the distance granting me enough time to sake off the post motion.

A storm of spinning strikes were dodged with a roll, the ending chop that fell on my position Deflected by the titular Martial Arts skill. My next strike dinged against the elf's shoulder armor, health dipping a miniscule amount. Showing all the strain of lifting a broom, the Fallen Elf Praetor whipped his weapon through the air, the tip slicing through my cloth facemask and turning my cheek numb. A gauntleted slap sent me stumbling to the side, a sudden sharp pressure morphing into emptiness spreading through my torso as I was heaved a full 180° and thrown away.

 _Alright. I'm pissed._ A wall stopped my sudden flight through the air, the impact rattling my senses. On instinct I rolled to the right, clanking metal informing me I had made the correct choice. I leapt up in an unaided vertical strike, turning around midair and push kicking off the elf. _That fucking armor's covering everywhere. There's gotta be a weak point somewhere._ I ducked underneath a glowing swipe, swinging my blade against the haft of the elf's second spinning rampage. _There!_ I lunged to the side and drove my weapon into the exposed pit of the Milites, slipping away as the elf jerked back.

"Calvary's here!"

"I have it under control!" I shouted back, freely letting my Sword Skills flow now that Klein was aiding me. Shortly thereafter, the four Fallen Elves lay motionless on the ground, the usual disintegrating smoke flowing from their armor.

As I exited out of the post combat window, Klein shot me a dirty look, hiding it behind his usual expression once the Forest Elves approached him. "It's good to see you guys. Things are under control on your sides then?"

"Aye." Iseyer stowed his weapon away. "The Fallen Elves were much more armored than we expected, but with our numbers and strategies we were able to create a break in the lines. The Captain and I ordered some men into the lower floors once they get closer, though if Sergeant Thel'doria is here then I supposed their presence is no longer needed."

"No, they'll still be needed." Thel'doria waved his hands in the negative. "The basement is like an ant's nest, I was only able to slip away by following one of the Fallen. Lucky I arrived when I did. No offense meant, Captain, Sergeant, but I doubt you would have been able to hold out were it not for the arrival of myself and later on our kind Swordsmen."

"If your egos are thoroughly preened, perhaps we should discuss the next move. Swordsmen," Had'vaar turned sharply to face Klein, clothes rippling with the motion. "Before we were engaged, we saw several prisoners taken up the slope as well through that entrance. I wish for your opinion on how we should divide the duties."

"Those with Battle Healing should go back into the castle," I said immediately, swapping to my yet unreplaced Ardent Breeze armor, a paltry level 15 (thankfully upgraded) compared to that of my 23.

"Yes," Harry agreed. "If there's a presence of any kind we'll need the survivability to hold out until we can either whittle those forces down or we receive backup from the rest of the Forest Elves. Klein, it might be for the best if you go with the others to rescue the prisoners. We'll need a strategan up there."

The brunet glanced at me, briefly flashing concern. "Alright then. Choryu, Kunimitzz, Issin. You'll be coming with me and our friends here. Be careful you guys." Feeling as if he specifically meant me, "Don't make any rash choices. Any hit is a a bad hit, consider having to take a potion for any reason as a significant blow." Assignments given, our groups split off, the scent of unspoken fears etched into the air.

"This is the only room we didn't check," I noted, cross referencing the clearing everybody else had done behind us.

"I'll go in first. Wedge formation. Weapons ready." At Harry's signal, Dale shoved the door open, the four of us piling inside. What greeted us was a male dressed in simple reds and blacks, his partial metal armor a mix of Fallen Elf and Sahuagin design.

"You know I was wondering when the other players would show up. So? How was it?" Whether by design of the room or projection of his voice, the teen (or rather youthful adult) turned around, lips raised in more smirk than smile.

"Who are you?" Harry demanded, stopping us just outside standard attack range.

"Ah, right. Sorry, I kind of forget social ettique. Actually, wait. Aren't you the one being rude here?" With the shrug, the man continued. "You may call me Radinca. And it's spelled with the English C, not a K." The weaponless boy gave a rather flourished bow. "But back to my question, how was the approach up here? I wasn't able to influence the placements of their forces as much as I wished, but I suppose that's what I get for helping out in this experiment."

.

"What are you talking about?" I stepped around Dale, keeping my weapon pointed towards the stranger.

"You don't know? You're here, aren't you?" Radinca gestured around broadly, seemingly unconcerned with the weapons pointed at him. "Hm, I see you aren't informed. Well, allow me to enlighten you then." The noiret strode towards the stained glass tree facing the eastern peak. "Right now we are in the midst of an Elven questline. Not _the_ Elven questline mind you, but _a_ Elven questline. I guess you missed your notification."

"You're on a quest right now?" Harry's weapons dropped slightly, Dale doing the same.

"Yup! Help the Fallen Elves retake the castle on the ninth floor. I'm a bit late to the party, but I've gotta say, these rewards?" The teen motioned towards his body. "Well worth it."

 _Retake the castle on the ninth? Are they lying to him?_ "Hey kid. Help us out then, since we're doing a quest as well. Point us towards the prisoners and we'll get out of your hair."

"No can do, Demon Nin." Radinca raised his hands apologetically and shook his head. "If I let you go you'll go and find the place you're supposed to be and prevent me from getting the good end."

Bodies clinked out from behind three of the pillars we had walked past. Biting back a curse, I whirled around, repositioning to keep both fronts in sight. "You know this means we'll have to fight you." My companions brought their weapons to bear, grouping together to present a unified front against the elves we'd never noticed.

"Maybe not me specifically, but definitely the NPC's. And I'm going to let you in on a secret: their levels are pretty high." Radinca pointed back towards towards one of the Praetor's, the npc's icon a vibrant purple. "So you're more than welcome to make the first move, but we're not the ones that need to leave here."

I glanced over to my companions and clicked my tongue. At this range it was impossible to me to listen in on the conversation. The most I could do was wait for any kind of signal. A hefty thirty seconds passed, Radinca the only person still not bearing a weapon.

"You know by all means, feel free to move closer if you need to. My allies won't make the first attack, that I assure you." The teen gave a conversational smile, gesturing as he spoke.

"Engage!"

I dashed towards Radinca, transfering my blade to my left hand and unleashing a right-left upper diagonal slash. Visualized data coalesced into a blade, the glowing weapon ringing as it batted my attack away. The presumed Parry forced my body to stumble back, the teen swordsman unleashing a three hit attack I vaguely recognized as a «Sharp Nail» variant.

"Good attack. A shame I was expecting it."

 _Stay calm, girl. You've got this, treat it like an actual fight._ I side stepped in, feet gliding over the ground. "Stand down, I don't want to have to do this."

"You will. But the bigger question is, can you?" Racinda pointed with his free hand behind me, clicking his tongue when I didn't react. "Can't blame a guy for trying. What you were supposed to see was your companions getting demolished by my NPC's."

I feinted twice, first with a pommel strike and then a horizontal slash. Both times Radinca raised his guard, and thus I shuffled in, bending my left knee slightly and slipping a front kick through his guard to strike his chin. The system enhanced stabs of «Twilt Horizon» lashed out thrice, a basic Martial Arts punch thrown out before I let go a «Crescent Moon». Upon landing I chambered my sword by my head, back of the blade flush against my armor. A downward left-right diagonal slice, a perfectly horizontal slash. The tingle of Sprint rushed through my legs as I imposed my will on the system, overriding the standard advancing spinning step into a whirling leap, the final hit of «Delta Advance» significantly stronger with the added centrifugal force.

Radinca staggered back, angry red lines scored into his body. "You know, pain isn't supposed to be felt in this world," he hissed out, "but that facking stung!"

 _Keep talking. Let me burn off this post motion._

The noiret arrived moments after I regained movement, sword swinging down at me. At the last moment it disappeared into crystalized data, a spear from his left hand suddenly jabbing through my armor and turning my lower right torso numb. "You're not the only one with tricks." The barbed tip was torn out from my body, a sliver of health disappearing with it. Weapon glowing silver, Radinca slashed the polearm down, stepping out with the motion. The vertical strike was dodged easier than the follow-up horizontal, the extended range of the system strike clipping through my arm even as I retreated. The final lunge forward came by quickly, the shaft clanging against the flat of my blade as I danced around it and slammed my elbow into the exposed crook of his neck.

"Hya!" I stabbed my blade down through his torso, the unforgettable sound of a critical ringing through my ears. Like his own weapon, my retraction deal a not insignificant amount of damage, the teen stumbling forward at what was assuredly an unwelcome sensation. "Give up now. The void is all that welcomes you if you continue." I took a half step backwards, the part of me that labeled the child as a civilian berating me for my violent actions.

"You talk so damn much for somebody losing. Why don't you take a look at your companions first?!"

I glanced away and snarled out a curse. Instinct taking over, I sprinted back towards Radinca and fired off a «Water Moon», my roundhouse dodged by a haphazard roll. Without further concern I charged towards my allies, fulling vaulting over Harry and raining down system aided stabs at the cestus using Praetor.

"About time you arrived," Harry said from behind. "I thought you forgot about us."

"Got a little delayed. Sorry about that, traffic was a bitch." I side stepped a hefty cross, the glowing metal around the elf's fist informing me of the sword skill used. "Speaking of which, we need a plan, strategan. The level difference is way too high." I slipped through the elf's guard, landing as many glancing blows as I could while avoiding any of the praetor's wide hitting attacks.

"Their armor is a mix of Fallen Elf gear and Sahuagin pieces. They may have the stats, but their armor rating can't be that high." In the corner of my vision, Harry's health bar rapidly started increasing, Dynamm's and Dale's fighting incrementally against the attacks they took. "Guh!"

I recovered from my combo of «Chronal Moon» and «Waning Moon», the Cestus Praetor knocked away several feet from the side kick. "Harry!" A Sprint aided «Reaver» pulled me forward, Radinca's Parry managing to throw me off balance despite our weapons never truly touching.

"You know planning is good and all, but action is much better." Radinca deflected another one of my attacks, knocking me to the floor with a pathetic but simple push kick while the system forced me to whirlwind my arms. "Give up now. The void is all that welcomes you if you continue." The teen slowly backed towards the door, a friendly grin on his face despite the fact that we were fighting for our lives. The three Fallen Elf Praetors broke away from their fights and formed at his sides. On his right was the cestus wielder. On his left, one elf carried a shield and mace while the farther one lazily spun a flail around.

"Harry, we need a plan," I hissed, tucking away the potion he rejected. The restorative he downed earlier was meant to heal 15%. Radinca's strike through his chest had canceled that entirely.

"I know, but I've got nothing beside hit them until they die," he whispered back, slowly getting to his feet. Dynamm and Dale moved in front of us, weapons pointed towards our enemies.

"I told you before, friends of the Demon Nin. My job is to keep you here. And these guys? Well, you're not getting out of here without at least two full teams. And right now you're not even one."

"How many do you think you could handle, Asasaki?" Dale asked.

"Cestus- sorry, glove guy and sword and board," I responded. "The problem is whether or not they'll stay on me instead of moving onto you guys."

"We'll treat this like like we're dealing with Trash. Tank as much as you can while dealing with your target." Harry reached for his quick access pouch but frowned at whatever notification met his action. "Asasaki, choose a mark and kite them around. Attack whatever you can reach."

"Understood. I'll take Radinca then. I'm not sure you guys can handle fighting an actual person just yet."

"Asasaki…" Harry frowned as he looked at me. "Don't kill him. The penalties will be worse if you do."

" _What are you-" Shit. I completely forgot about that._ "I can't make any promises. He seems like a good kid, he's just on the wrong side."

 _ **Isn't that how it always is?**_

"If you four are quite done, my health is almost above 85%. Of course, if you want a harder fight, feel free to keep talking. I don't mind waiting."

"Everybody fine with the same opponents?" Dale and Dynamm nodded minutely, their grips on their weapons tightening. "Then forward," Harry whispered.

"This again? Don't you think-" Radinca's words were silenced by my blade cutting across his back, the dual hitting «Zephyrus» retracing the path down halfway before sharply angling away to my lower left. Spear once again took the place of his sword, the weapon jutted out thrice before seamlessly swapping back to his sword during a controlled whirlwind. "You're dumb," he suddenly stated, holding his end pose.

"What?" The side of my head lost all feeling, a chorus of cries I thought was my name accompanying the sudden force throwing me to the floor. Muddled as I was, I managed to recognize that my sword had been kicked away, a weight that was undoubtedly that of a foot pressing down on my back.

"Listen lady, stay down. You're at half health. This is only going to end with your name crossed out." Radinca stabbed his sword through my upper right arm and started grinding his boot against me, each twist whittling away bits of my life. "All you have to do is swear you'll sit in time out and I'll let you up."

I strained to look at the others, my body locked into the awkward position. Everybody's health was a solid 15% above mine, and both theirs and their enemy's were chipping away by mere fractions. Hits trading back and forth like a more composed drunken bar fight, the Fallen Elves slowly pulled my companions away into separate corners. Any attempt to regain control of the fight were met with a furious offensive that forced the fighters into a different direction.

"Look at it, Demon Nin. Your friends are about to hit 50%, you're about a minute away from turning red. Yield, and you can lick your wounds until my quest is done." Radinca jerked his sword around a little, my hand spasming at the change in sensations. "Hey, Strategan! Tell your friends to back off or the woman dies."

Harry backed off a little, the only one in position to clearly see my plight. A pained look washed onto his face, eyes meeting mine. So desperately I wanted to tell him to ignore me, to keep fighting. But a part of me couldn't care to voice it; so many times I had been in this situation, I could no longer care to be in it. "Fūrinkazan, stand down!"

"That's better." Radina removed his sword from my arm and stepped away from me. The other three elves moving to join him warily, keeping their distance from my still prone form. "Now you all just sit tight. Don't make any movements towards my elves, and they won't make any towards you."

"Asasaki, you alright?" Dale helped me to my feet, guiding me towards the back of the room.

"I'll be fine," I muttered, feeling a wetness in my eyes. At his insistence I downed a potion, Harry and Dynamm joining us. "What about you guys? Still holding up?"

"My pride as a fighter's a little shaken, but I'm fine otherwise." Dynamm held my sword out for me, staring at the health bar above my head and frowning. "You need to stop taking risks like that. You have potions, remember to use them. Everybody else-"

"Dynamm. She knows." Harry shook his head and removed his helmet, sitting down against the stone wall. "The area's classified as a dungeon right now. I can't message anybody else. I guess all we can do is wait."

And so wait we did. Once Radinca got bored of looking at us (equally as possible was being certain we wouldn't try anything) he started pacing the room, looking through various menus while the Praetors watched us. Eventually the door was thrust open, a Fallen Elf Millites fervently whispering something to the teen. With a disgruntled sigh Radinca shook his head, a rectangular crystal housed in metal appearing in his hand. "Looks like your friends and allies fared better than you. Shame that. But still, enough resources were gathered to classify as a victory, so I'll take what I can. Toodles." Instead of the normal cubes of data, the red and black fighter disappeared in a geyser of shimmering translucent panes, the now four elves disappearing in much the same manner.

Before we could even comment on what happened, the door opened once more, a team of battle worn Forest Elves rushing through. "Did a Cursed One come in here?"

"Does it look like we were in any condition to fight?" I spat blithely.

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"It's good to see you all alive." Hadvaar nodded towards those that had gathered in the chamber we had lost in, a set of long tables found and transported from the hall Haru meant to explore. "First, I would like to extend our deepest of gratitudes to our Swordsmen comrades as well as the Shukechunn goblins. With their efforts, our losses were mitigated by quite a significant amount." A round of muted thanksgivings were offered our way, the surviving Forest Elf leaders bowing their heads in respect.

"Today marks our first victory against the Fallen Elves in quite some time. Though for decades we have been in a stalemate, your actions here have allowed us to reclaim the fortress and warehouse of the Tidal Mountains. As we speak, the remnants of our corrupted brethren are being hunted down." Hadvaar raised his goblet, all of us taking varying amounts of liquor down our throats at the toast. "However, our foes have retreated to an unknown floor. As you are all well aware, in recent days both elves and humans alike have been sequestered away while travelling the plains. The Fallen Elves have been collecting prisoners, and utilizing ancient magic long sealed away have been creating healing crystals with their lives as the resource."

Everyone in Klein's group forced a small smile at the elf's words, eyes crinkling with pain. "Additionally, it seems that a Swordsman has joined up with the Fallen Elves with the intent of aiding them in taking the Obsidian Castle. With the Dark Elves moving to reclaim the six keys, it's been decided that we should move our forces up the floors of Aincrad, notifying our brothers of the coming tribulations. Sergeant Thel'doria."

"Yes, my lord." The drill instructor rose from his chair and executed a respectful bow.

"Gather two teams and head to the Fiend Woods. Our siblings there will surely need your assistance. Sergeant Iseyer."

"Sir."

"My deepest apologies for forcing you to press onwards without any rest, but take a full unit to the Sand Iron Kingdom. Our siblings there are scattered, but gather them you must. Once you complete that, head up and reinforce Sergeant Thel'doria. I'm certain you'll need the manpower." Hadvaar at last turned towards us, his stoicness fading slightly. "As for Fūrinkazan. Your efforts here will never be forgotten. Long ago the races worked in harmony, and what occured today is but a glimpse of what we can achieve. I would beg of you to continue assisting us in the future; surely, your blades will be needed again."

I glanced towards Klein, the man's eyes closed. On a whim I counted the seconds between each movement of his chest, realizing that at some point he had appropriated my own meditative four count. "Of course, Lord Hadvaar," he said after a moment.

"Your aid is much appreciated. I wish I could offer you more, but being as closed off as we are from the human settlements we do not have much in the way of rewards. Head down into the lower floors and ask for my assistant Ileyne. She should be taking count of the armory's wares. Feel free to help yourselves to whatever you wish; Elven and Sahuagin make are both levels vastly above what the humans here have achieved." Hadvaar turned his attention back to the rest of his men, outlining the plans he had constructed for the immediate future. Once the meeting was completed, the elven lord gave another toast to our prosperity and future victories, promising a party well deserved when we returned to the Forest Elf Castle.

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I hefted the dagger, reading through its flavor text.

#A Sahuagin style dagger made in an Elven Forge. An eldritch energy can be felt from it occasionally. Critical Hits will land more easily. Agility +10.#

"They've certainly been busy little bees while we had our debriefing." I gingerly placed the dagger back into the crate of weapons, moving down the line to a rack of more lengthier weapons. The gathered or forged Sahuagin equipment was rather numerous, but in terms of weapons only slashing or thrusting weapons could be found; my guess was that as dwellers of the water, bulkier crush type weaponry wouldn't be as favorable. _Were this reality of course, but I suppose those sorts of restrictions would help to refine the theme of the beasts._

After some thought I selected a rather simplistic weapon called a «Barbed Sabre». It was a bit short in comparison to the images I had in my head of the calvary variants, but for some reason it seemed right at home aboard a naval ship. The stats were slightly worse than the «Sillicatite Dao» Ferghus had forged for me, the Quickness stat it had was high enough to merit mention of in its flavor text. The fact that I could equip it immediately instead of needing to wait until I hit level 25 for the extra stat points was a plus. "Of course there's also how many times it can get upgraded," I muttered aloud. "Need to find somebody with «Appraisal» for that."

With both my weapons and armor chosen, I walked back to the main room of the basement's third floor, joining Klein and Kunimitzz at one of the long tables. "Going for the Twin look?" I asked, raising a brow at their mirror images. The two had created their own blend of Fallen Elf and Dark Elf equipment, the former a dull purple, almost grey in color and adorned with small spikes that seemed more decorative than practical while the latter was a much more vibrant hue, proudly tapering to angular points that covered the vitals but not much else; truly worthy of the «Light Metal Armor» they boasted.

"Just happy coincidence. Besides, Kunimitzz decided to take a defensive route and grab Dark Elf gear for his chest and legs."

"Mm." The elven gear all had the same general appearance but where Forest Elf gear was rounded and elegant, Dark Elf equipment was sleek and proud, the corners significantly more angular. As for Fallen Elf armor, big, spiked and gothic would summarize them adequately.

The halberd user of our trio gave me a once over. "What did you end up picking? Can't help but notice you're still in that Ardent Breeze gear."

"Forest Elf and Sahuagin gear for me. The stealth and dexterity boosts suit my style more than the rest. Originally I was going to take full Sahuagin gear for the extra Dex boost, but I figured getting a few points for «Hide» would be more beneficial than the water only boosts the set would have given me." As for why I wasn't wearing the armor, "The color palettes don't blend too well," I explained. "I'm sure you saw, but the sahuagin equipment showed a different color depending on the angle you looked at it; a shimmering light blue from below, a murky grey from above. Forest Elf gear on the other hand-"

"Looks like somebody took the tint of Forest Green and applied a thin layer of hazelnut to it?" Klein finished, giving me a scrutinizing look.

"Pretty much. It'll cost me a small fortune, but I have the cor to purchase the dyes I want." Small fortune indeed; dyes were rare drops from fighting public dungeon bosses that spawned up to four times a day. The price changed with each new floor, but their current cost was sitting around double the amount for a player made set of standard equipment.

"Mind taking a short walk with me, Asasaki? There's something I've been meaning to with you about. Kuni, have everybody meet us in the southern courtyard up top once they're done."

"No problem."

Klein led the way up the lower floors, the two of us exchanging nods with the elves standing guard at the southern entrance. The false afternoon sun shined down on us as we settled against the castle wall, the brunet staring resolutely at the valley leading down to the river. "After this, I don't think we're going to be doing the rest of this Elven Questline."

I nodded minutely, Klein's words not entirely unexpected.

"The rewards are great, even if the cor is a little lacking, but it's just,"

"The Fallen Elves?" I hazarded.

"The Fallen Elves," he repeated. "If they disappeared like everything else, we wouldn't have a problem, but with the way they go," in the corner of my eye, Klein gave a full body shudder. "I think Choryu feels the same way, but honestly I think he's mostly following you."

"He's said as much in the past." I closed my eyes, listening to the wind and the chatter from the soldiers that floated past. "I'm pretty sure I'm going to be following this through to the end. If nothing else, then because there's something about this whole thing that's bothering me." In, two, three, four. "A handful of times throughout this whole thing I've heard talk about 'reuniting the lands' or something to that effect. At first I thought it was just flavor text, but a part of me wants to think it's an out. I've no doubt it's just a cruel joke or backstory, but with the way this world is, I think it deserves looking into."

"You're more than welcome to stay with us while you do this, Dawn. You're still part of our guild, even if we aren't going to be focusing on the same thing. And we'll still be travelling with the Tolbanians and Ol'dekhaan. This Contract skill is pretty interesting, and it's some free experience for things we already would have done."

"Thanks, Ryoutarou. I really appreciate it. Hey, when we get out of here, whenever that is, let me buy you a drink, alright?"

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

 **Next chapter will be released September 28th.**


	30. Germination

_It's always interesting reading through my stuff during the editing process. Sometimes I'm in utter love with the stuff I pull together from previous events, other times all I can focus on is how poorly things seem to flow or how odd certain parts feel. Commentary aside, once floor 9 is wrapped up (which I plan to take around three parts) I'll be ending this book of Duality and marking it as 'complete'. I'll be taking a break after that, whether for other projects or something else. At some point I'll return to this series; I do have like two other 'books' planned out that go all the way to the end of the Aincrad arc plus there's a whole bunch of side events I could put under the 'interlude' series._

* * *

" **When I was a kid, I used to be obsessed with gardening. I planted all kinds of plants in my family's garden. Most of them died at one point or another, but there was a few hydrangeas that survived my poor childhood focus. Actually moved them to the big family house out yonder. They sort of became a fixture, leading up to the house from the backyard. I think the reason why I liked planting stuff and hoping they'd grow was because there was something special watching something so big come from something so small."**

Three days went by quietly in this digital world. With no pressing matters of story based quests to accomplish, Klein and the others wandered from floor to floor, pushing the boundaries of explored terrain and selling the map info to Argo. That is, once their daily training/quests with those they were Contracted with had been completed.

On the subject of Contract Quests, an interesting development occurred the day we had brought the Tolbanians to Karluin. After spending a few hours with the rest of his colleagues looking around the city and working towards their interests, Asahi had witnessed a player transaction regarding artifacts from the dungeons underground. A round of twenty questions later, all players that stepped through the fifth floor portal quickly began making use of the NPC that happened to greet and smooth talk them into bringing him the relics of the past.

In truth, Asahi's eagerness to gain knowledge had made his words come across as somewhat scripted; by this point most players had been pavlov'd how to deal with and accept quests, thus they rationalized his behavior as a metaphorical carrot, enticing them to investigate the repeatable and randomized dungeons that were accessible on this floor.

When afternoon arrived, those same players would start queueing up to fight against the enigmatic NPC's that didn't match the theme of the Sand Iron Kingdom. Every single person that rose their blade received a thorough beatdown from Hibiki and Yamaguchi along with a few words of advice. To be fair on my fellow Earthlings, according to Argo's approved Guide to Equipment the minimum level for gear on this floor was level 18; the lack of the extra stats resulting in the vast gulf between the challengers and their opponents.

By the next day only Mitsui seemed to have problems with the player attention, her every step around the city ruins hounded by people trying various ways to get a quest from her. In the end, she only managed to escape by saying that what she really wanted was a special weapon that shone bright like the sun, a somewhat poorly veiled riddle referencing the weapons that could be found in the room before the 5th floor's Tower boss. Luckily for her, no one had yet to figure it out. Thanks to Kirito's 'thoughtful' charity, the entire plan for the Tower Boss had been completely tossed aside and thus the secret to beating the guardian of the 6th floor was chalked up as little more than extra scenery.

At that same time, Iseyer and his motley crew of Elves were traipsing around the region, scouring the cursed lands for any survivors of whatever calamity had surged out from the ground. Eventually the kind Sergeant would flag me over and introduce the fifteen people he had collected, all but three of them non-combatants who had instead focused on survival and retaining what they could of their previous skills. A concerning oddity of the small region of the Sand Iron kingdom I had never noticed (perhaps due to only being there at night or in late evenings), the skies held a tint of a looming darkness, even on cloudless days; when twilight arrived the eeriness wasn't as prevalent, but when the sun was in full force it wasn't uncommon for newly arrived players to comment on the disturbing sensation of somebody watching them.

When Iseyer had told the gathered survivors that I would be able to help them move to a land that had a properly blue sky, their eyes had instantly gained a glimmer of hero worship. The fact that Hadvaar had granted all of Fūrinkazan an earring symbolizing our alliance with his company only made their thanksgivings all the more fervent.

An upside to helping the Forest Elves move to the next floor (alongside the Tolbanians and Ol'dekhaan) was the new outfits and foods available from the significantly improved Whispering Village. Iseyer once again flagging me (and by proxy the rest of the guild) to the newly more populated area, the eight of us were gifted a new set of clothes. In exchange for more dragon scales we would later collect from our trip to the Water Region's mountain (the proper name of which I had never remembered) the tailors begrudgingly dyed the fabrics according to our preferences. Each of us used the same hue of a dark red, brown, or forest green as the most dominating color, with a vibrant gold, unblemished white, deep indigo a shade closer to purple than blue, or one of the other two bases to accompany the layered clothing.

I myself had chosen brown and indigo to make up the majority of my outfit, asking for red and white accents to be used at the Elves' desire. I shouldn't have been as surprised (and admittedly irritated) as I was when the outfit came back to me a bit more revealing than I normally wore. While adhering to my request to be functional for common fieldwork and combat, the elves had taken it upon themselves to leave small parallelograms of skin exposed on the sides of my thighs and upper arms, cleavage, and lower back, each of the slits bordered by white.

Iseyer had raised an eyebrow when I stepped out from the house I had changed in, commenting that perhaps my guildmates should add 'Priestess' to my list of titles. Fūrinkazan themselves had required a few moments to acclimate to my appearance, only Harry, Haru, and Kunimittz not needing to look away every few seconds to compose themselves. Perhaps the most annoying part was that where my pips showed flesh, the men's outfits were fully covered in white, a homage to the diamonds we used on our guild symbol.

Appearance aside, the clothing was remarkably adept for the weather we experienced. At Klein's behest, we forwent the quests to acquire the gliders, instead making the trek across the floor to gain more familiarity with the equipment we had gotten from the fourth floor. In my case, it was continued practical experience in implementing the newest tier of sword skills I had only recently started experimenting with. In the winds of the titular region, the ribbons of fabric that were layered atop each other retained enough warmth to turn the chilling gusts into refreshing breezes. When the air turned humid on the plains towards the eastern water region, the same layers were breathable enough that the moisture surrounding us never clung. And when we had reached the summit of the lone mount amongst a plain of plateaus and mesas, a simple cloak was all that was needed to defend against the freezing air.

And thus it was the late morning of January 9th, after Fūrinkazan had visited the relevant people for maintenance and upgrades that I found myself wandering the streets and bridges of Zumfut. In all honesty I wasn't sure what had brought me back to the floor that started the Elven Questline. Perhaps it was a desire to see the giant trees once again. Another explanation was wanting to relive the memories of my first clash against the Fallen Elves to try and desensitize myself to their deaths. Equally possible: the Lostlorn Forest was the only floor that I knew no one else from the guild had any business on and I wanted to take the day all to myself.

Such self indulgence would include a long stroll along the main roads where monsters would only rarely wander on, finally exploring one of the many spider infested dungeons and gathering several bundles of silk Asuka had expressed some interest in during our trek into the woods, and when I returned to Zumfut by the afternoon coming across the excitable, yellow form of my misguided protegé, Ducker. With a sigh of both resignation and amusement I followed after the dagger using child, watching him run through the drills I had given him for the better part of an hour.

When the teen eventually stopped, I let out a steady stream of claps, a small smile etched into my face at the dedication he had shown. "Very impressive, runt. If that was an attempt to convince me to teach you, consider me sold."

"What?! Asasaki!? When did you get here?"

I snirked and reached up, rubbing Ducker's hair. "I started following you for about a solid three minutes before you arrived at this lot. Nice choice in location by the way, very out of place and unlikely to have foot traffic."

"What are you even doing here anyway? I thought you'd be up on the 7th floor helping push towards the floor boss." The high schooler grumbled and tried to restore his hair back to its former styling, nodding to himself at his presumed success; success here meaning making his lifeless hair a mass of cowlicks.

"My guild's taking a small break from the front lines and combat in general. We have a couple kinks that we need to work out. As useful as more bodies would be," I raised my arms as I gave a shrug. "If we were to go there now we'd probably cause more problems than we'd solve."

"That's a shame. I was kind of hoping I'd get to hear about our awesome mentors showing everybody up in Argo's newsletter."

"Argo's what now?" I repeated.

"Argo's newsletter. C'mon, don't tell me you don't read it?" Ducker handed over a booklet stamped with the same likeness of Argo that was placed on all of the floor guides, dated the same day our raid against the Fallen Elves occured. "It contains all the latest gossip, rumors, and carefully censored reports about notable achievements. Anybody involved knows exactly what's being talked about, but all the readers will know is what event occurred and where. Like how there's been a giant wolf spawning on the first floor every so often. Nobody really knows when or how it happens, but the only thing we do know is that the guild Fūmaningun just so happens to show up in the forests north of Tolbana before the beast does."

I carefully silenced the coughing choke that threatened to escape, utilizing a good fashioned throat clear to hide the evidence. "I've heard about that in passing. Actually met them a few times when I went to the lower floors to practice things that would be far too dangerous on the higher floors. Speaking of guilds," I trailed off, handing the book back after reading the relevant passage. "I see you've joined up with one." Ordinarily status bars of players would always be hovering above them. If you changed the settings like I did (for immersion purposes) then you would have to stare at a player for a few seconds before their ribbon popped up. Alongside the information one would expect from a status ribbon included the logo of the player's guild if they were in one. The symbol that Ducker sported consisted of what looked like a vertical, rounded barbell with a long, wavy tail coming off the top all nestled into a yellow semi-circle reminiscent of a waxing crescent moon.

"Yeah! Once we realized we could create a guild, the five of us completed the quest as soon as possible. We're called the Moonlit Black Cats."

"Not the Sailor Senshi?" I ribbed, finally placing why the design seemed familiar.

"Sailor Senshi? Why would you- oh god, no! Shut up, shut up! Ah man, now I can never unsee it!" Ducker crouched into a ball, hands firmly on his head. "Why did you have to point that out! Oh man, this is so uncool."

"Relax, if you let it bother you that much people will just keep harassing you about it." I shook my head. "Hey, what are you up to later today?"

"Uwa? Uh, I'm meeting the rest of the guild over in the southern forests, once I finish up in the city." Jumping slightly in remembrance, Ducker led us back onto the main streets, working his way towards the NPC markets.

"You care if I tag along?"

"I'll have to double check with Keita. I know you two don't really get along all that well." The teen laughed a bit awkwardly. "Hey wait, so does that mean you're planning on teaching me things?"

"When I have free time. The questline I'm doing right now isn't exactly the nicest in regards to giving me free time." _Speaking of which,_ "By the way, if your crew ever comes across a monster or NPC called a 'Fallen Elf', turn the other way. If it comes to a fight, there's absolutely no way you'll win. Not as you are now. And even if you got ten levels stronger, you still shouldn't fight against them. They have a mechanic that's really not meant for normal players."

"Stay away from Fallen Elves, got it." When Ducker moved to buy some health potions, I intercepted him, offering him the now outdated potions I had from the fourth and fifth floors in exchange for the same amount of cor he would have paid. "Are you sure about this? Potions end up costing a lot." Under his breath, Ducker mentioned something about how expensive my clothes looked, expressing how unsurprising it was that I was willing to part with the restoratives.

"Don't worry about it, Ducker. I know a guy who hooks me up."

"What, like somebody who's picked up a potion making skill?"

"Something like that," I said simply, not wanting to divulge the information about Hilde just yet. The walk along the main road went by quietly. According to the teen, the third floor was the current 'minimum' that non-clearers would travel to. With Argo's guide having been updated at the start of the week, the map of the entire floor was now completed; barring the relatively new underground cave network that sprawled across the entire floor (and the Fallen Elf dungeon that had become filled with poisonous slimes, rats, and other large creatures). if you wanted to level up safely the third floor was the best place to be.

"You know the Dragon Knight's Brigade actually has people stationed at the entrance to that dungeon north of Zumfut? They won't let anyone under level 20 in there, especially if they aren't packing at least ten anti-paralysis and poison items each."

"If the place is as dangerous as you say, then I'm sure it's a good idea. You're only level 13 yourself, aren't you?"

"16, these days. I'd be higher, but Keita scolds me whenever I try to go out with another party to grind mobs. I can't really get mad at him, I know he's just looking out for me and all, but still. It's kind of irritating how much of a worry wort he can be."

 _Sounds like he's being a little_ too _controlling to me._ "You should ask him about it, if you really want to. You know in English we call what you're doing [assuming], base word [assume]. The relevant phrase to that is [When you assume you make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me']."

"See, I'm not good in my English classes and I don't really know how to speak it. So everything you just said sounds cool and inspirational, but it completely flew over my head."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "My point is, you can either be a nice, obedient member of your guild and not cause any problems or you can confront Keita about why he's acting that way and try and reach some level of understanding."

"I guess." Ducker stopped walking as he worked his interface, moving with me to the side when I started pushing him along. "Keita says they're waiting at the entrance to today's dungeon. The exit's all the way on the northern side of the floor and from there we'll spend the night in the village nearby."

"See? Looks like he was thinking about you after all." I returned a wave to the handful of players walking past us, idly adjusting the layers of my clothing afterwards. _Wonder if they're part of a larger group or if that's all they have. Seems to be the trend, these days._ "A full day excursion in a dungeon. You guys pack everything you need?"

"Uh, yeah. That's part of why I was still in Zumfut?" Ducker gave me a queer look.

"Ignore me." I waved a hand dismissively. "Was thinking about something else and let my mouth run. Call it a side effect from my previous job; sometimes the work would get a bit boring so I'd have to find entertainment wherever I could."

"If you say so. Hey, I know you're not equipped right now but would you mind taking care of any monsters we come across on the way there? I'd rather not waste durability or have to recover from a mistake."

"No problem, lemme just get geared up real quick. And call it my payment if I end up tagging along with you kids, I don't need any materials from the monsters on this floor; I can get better quality products on the higher floors." Unlike the «Forest of Wavering Mists» in the center of the floor which was populated by ghostly trees and vengeful flora, the outer woods were comprised completely of spiders and other insectoid beasts. When the floor had first opened up, the clearers would occasionally come across various Elves, but ever since the eradication of the Forest Elves on the 29th (not that the public knew that), the appearance of any elves had become almost non-existent.

"What floor did you get that armor from?" Ducker asked after I took down a spider large enough to ride on. "It reminds me some Elven gear I saw on display in the markets the other day."

"Floor four. My guild and I were exploring some of the land that the clearers never got to when we came across a small fortress belonging to the Fallen Elves I was talking about before. It took the better part of four hours to clear them all out and part of our final search revealed a weapons and armor cache from the other three big names. Forest Elves, Fallen Elves, the Sahuagin of that floor," at Ducker's lost expression, I gave a quick description of the water dwelling monsters.

"You know now that I mention it, I wonder if every floor has a secret dungeon spanning the entire length of it. When I was doing my own thing at the start of the month, the rest of my guild was exploring the main entrance for the Sahuagin dungeon. Apparently it got a lot more complex than they were expecting; something about water elevators that the monsters were swimming through and connected to other levels of the dungeon." _And then there was that giant rock thing on the first floor._

After about forty minutes of walking along the main path, Ducker led us into the forest proper. According to the few glimpses I had of elvens maps this section of the floor was firmly under control of the Dark Elves, so despite the rumors of their sudden reclusiveness I was constantly paranoid of their appearance.

"Ducker. You're late." Keita pushed off from one of the roots curtained around the dungeon entrance. "You get everything we need?"

"Yup! Health potions, preventatives, plus a little extra insurance, just in case." The yellow garbed teen stepped to the side and gestured at me with a flourish.

"He did message you beforehand, right?" I asked, not putting it past the teen to leave it as a surprise.

"He did." The staff user stared at me disapprovingly, relenting with a sigh once he noticed Ducker's hopeful expression. "Fine, you can join us. Like you told Ducker earlier, since you already claimed your payment I'll be setting your exp and rewards to the minimum. If something ends up happening- which it shouldn't!- then we can discuss what you get as compensation. I know you like your materials."

"If it comes down to it we'll just call it an IOU." I nodded towards the other three kids, shedding a lone, internal tear when Sachi granted me the smallest of returns. "I've no need for anything from this floor, nothing I can't collect on my own anyway. Just treat me like a chaperone or insurance, maybe an instructor if you guys end up with any questions."

"Right, well. Pot up, everybody. We went over this last night but as a reminder, the dungeon we'll be doing today will take us all the way to a village up north. It's supposed to be filled with spiders and other insects so the only time we'll be able to take more than a breather is when we reach one of the safe zones, hopefully timed so that when a preventative is about to run out we'll just be getting in. There's a few replenishing chests that Ducker can mess around with that we'll be hitting up, so don't freak out if he disappears for a bit. It's-"

"Training, after all!" The dagger user interrupted. "My goal today's to go as unnoticed as possible without having the «Hide» skill, so feel free to be as loud as you want when you fight."

"Maybe not that loud," Tetsuo countered. "If we get too rowdy with our attacks we might drag the attention of other monsters. They might not be based on creatures with good hearing, but they'll still be attracted to us if we're not careful."

Keita cleared his throat softly, refocusing the group's attention. "If that should happen, we'll be relying on Sachi and Sasamaru to keep us safe. Issin showed you two some drills to work on your harmony with Tetsuo's shield, so you two'll be in charge of managed aggression."

"Just call for me if you need help," I added. "I'll be exploring on my own within shouting distance. It's pretty much my day off and any scenery that's not rolling hills of sand is good scenery." Five sets of confused gazes met my eyes, only Sachi and Ducker attempting to make sense of what I meant.

Shaking his head, Keita thrust his open hand forward, his comrades stepping in and laying their hands over his. "For the Moonlit Black Cats!" he cried, the yell echoed back at him.

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 _Kind of ticks me off that this dungeon has natural lightning too. Might not be the best, but it's not like a torch or lantern is necessary._ I knelt down and mechanically tugged at the plants. Despite the lack of sunlight, the purple foliage was still growing vibrantly. I'd never come across the «Palatinate Anantamul» before and referencing Argo's guide yielded no results. _The most we'd need light for is to check the walls, and it's not like the monsters that get the jump on us are even strong enough to cause a problem._ The second time my hand failed to grab hold of anything I stood and dusted myself off, searching around for another source of the purple plant. When another pass failed to show anything, I slid my hands into my pockets and started moving back towards the Fukazawa kids.

When last I had seen them, Sachi and Tetsuo were firmly facing off against a «Bedazzled Arthropod», the aptly named beast glimmering like a fish' scales under bright light (or a young child's project given free access to a bottle of glitter, my mind would later supply). Every few strikes from the sword and board user would be interspaced by a string of attacks from Keita or Tetsuo to help chip away at the spider's health. Ducker during this time had gone ahead towards a known chest location. He'd returned not too long after I followed after, proudly waving around a club that looked to be made from a spider's carcass.

That had been perhaps fifteen minutes ago; with no rush to be anywhere and with the kid's healthbars changing at a disgruntling if acceptable rate I found no need to be chasing after them, content to take samples of whatever I pleased. On occasion a monster had wandered close to me, a few unaided strikes from my now equippable «Sillicatite Dao» (which never failed to remind me of the titular girl from the orphanage) being enough to take care of the problem. A short trip down the willowing hall brought me to the next safe zone, incidentally spaced the farthest from the other rest points.

"You kids are rather brave to be setting out on your own, especially with such a small party size."

Keita's somewhat reluctant voice meandered around the corner. "It's not like we're just five people. Our sixth party member is off on her own right now. If we need help, we can easily let her know. Messages can still be sent within a party while in a dungeon after all."

"Smart thinking," a different, matured voice responded. "But even so, to think that those of your age are wandering the dungeon so confidently."

Ducker's voice leapt in response, his facial expression easily imagined. "Oi, just because we're young doesn't mean we can't fight! I bet if we dueled I could kick your butt!"

"Ha! Perhaps against me, young dagger user, but against our captain? I'd be surprised if you landed a single proper blow. But even so, that's a challenge I dare not take right now. I neither have the Battle Healing skill to recover from that fight nor do we have the potions to spare."

"I have-"

Whatever Ducker meant to say was stopped by Keita's arm shooting out across the yellow garbed teen's chest. "Maybe if we meet up in the cities some day. Why don't we exchange contact information for then?"

"A wonderful idea, young Keita."

At the behest of my inner voice, I plastered a beaming grin on my face as I sat next to the two kids. "Aww! Look at my cute little students, all growing up and talking to new people," I cooed. "So? Why don't you go ahead and introduce me?"

"My name is Haregi." The younger of the two gentlemen sat up a little straighter and gave a small bow of his head. If I had to describe him, it'd be dignified brute. "My companion here, Heathcliff, is the leader of our own group. And I suppose you would be the missing member of their own group, Miss…"

"Asasaki," I answered. When my visual search of the room failed to bring up any sign of Sachi, I posed the question to Ducker and Keita.

"She went ahead with Sasamaru," the leader of the Black Cats spoke. "Said she wanted to work on her skills a little more with a live target instead of just drills.

"I know I've said it so many times this past half hour, but that fact that ones so young wander so freely," Haregi shook his head. "It's quite frankly one of the most inspiring things I've come across so far, and that's including when the Master rescued us."

"Haregi, please. I am no master." The man in question was undoubtedly 'grandfather'. The graphics and design of the Nervegear as well as our world in general didn't allow for skin to show wrinkles, but if it did I had no doubt this face would be lined with them, each and every fold telling countless stories that went along with the man's greying hair. "I understand your feelings on the subject, but we are equals here."

"Late to the conversation and since you've mentioned it a few times," I raised a hand slightly, "what's your situation like? Numbers wise, I mean."

"Unlike your fragmented party of six," Haregi started, "we have three full teams." The lightly set twenty-something gestured towards the other side of the room. With a start, I realized that the majority of the people (mostly teenagers and young adults) were the same ones that had passed by Ducker and me. "We're a group of survivors from the Guild Experiments that happened recently," he continued, expression falling slightly. "It took us all a few days to recover from the ordeal. Frankly speaking, I'm certain not all of us are truly ready to be fighting again, but we owe it to ourselves and those we've lost to keep pushing forward. Perhaps not quite at the front lines, but at least improving ourselves for that eventuality. That we have Heathcliff to protect us only makes us more confident."

I closed my eyes and took a breath, absorbing the words he spoke. "That's a bit dangerous, don't you think? I mean I can understand that sort of thing," I opened an eye and looked at Heathcliff, the man staring at me with mostly hidden curiosity, "but what happens when he's not there? Will you guys not be as courageous as you could be? Take the actions that you know you can?"

"Well spoken, Miss Asasaki." The man in question gave a small smile, one I recognized as entertaining a personal joke. "Having somebody, or even something, that you base your decisions upon can be a well meaning decision, but if you cannot function on your own without it means that aide is little more than a dependency."

"Okay so, while the adults talk adult speak, I'm gonna go ahead and wake up Tetsuo. It's about time we caught up to the others." Ducker stood up suddenly, Keita following in his wake.

"You're an adult?" Haregi leaned forward, staring at me intently.

Raising a brow, "How old did you think I was?"

"You carry yourself like an adult but when you sat next to those two so easily I thought you were just a mature teen."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said dryly.

"We should get ready as well. Haregi, would you mind letting the others know?"

"Of course, sir."

Heathcliff gave out a silent full body sigh, his shoulders dropping with the exhalation. "Miss Developer, I hope that we shall have time to speak later. Perhaps over a meal in the coming days? I hear there's a village on the sixth floor that's acquired some new foods. It may not be the most luxurious of places, but new experiences are always worthwhile endeavors."

Out of habit I accepted the friend request, mind blanked out by the usage of one of my previous monikers. "I make no promises on being able to meet with you though. My schedule right now is a little odd, but I'll see what I can do to sync up with you."

"Whenever we are able, then. May your weapon strike true."

"May your weapon strike true," I repeated, intrigued by the saying.

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"That thing has a back attack."

"We know! Stop distracting us!"

I snorted. Despite my warning and Keita's adamance that his team knew about the attack patterns from the monsters down here, Sasamaru fell prey once again to the «Omniscient Araneae». The beast held two types of aggression; one from the front and one from behind. Attacking from the rear meant one dealt significantly more damage but at the same time exposed them to web based consequences. Usually it meant being tied up and forced into a pseudo-paralysis for a time but on occasion the webbing would be drenched in a corrosive liquid and inflict DoT damage. Noticing the state of his friend, Ducker slipped away from the fight and began cutting away at the webbing, Sasamaru helping once his hand became free.

After a short while (time I spent lazily gathering plantlife and pretending I was an experienced researched who knew what I was looking for) the five children took down the dump truck sized beast, their cheers echoing around the chamber. Out of respect for their accomplishment I gave my own applause. "Congratulations. Was that the biggest thing you guys have taken down?"

"Nah," Ducker tossed his head in my direction, a pleased grin on his face. "We've taken down a «Greater Taurus Sentinel» before back on the second floor, but this is the strongest thing we've fought. Argo's guide lists it around level 18."

"So around an average three level difference between your party and it," I murmured. "But good work on doing that with just the five of you. It was dangerous and more than a little reckless, but pushing past your limits is a good thing."

Keita preened under my words, the expression morphing into a small scowl when he realized who it came from. "We better keep going. There's still around three hours ground to cover and the room the dungeon boss spawns in is on the way. Tetsuo, your health good enough to continue?"

"I'll need to take pot and I won't be able to fully tank until I can take another, but we can head out, at least."

"Want me to scout ahead? Take care of some of the scary scaries?" I asked teasingly.

"I'll go along with you," Sachi suddenly stepped forward, a nervous smile trying its best to sprout. "If I slow down my nerves will start acting up again."

"Alright," I said after a moment. "Go ahead and set the pace though. If we leave it up to me I'll probably lose you." When I started to move away, Keita opened his mouth as if ready to say something. After a moment he closed it and shook his head, simply letting the two of us walk away.

A part of me wished that there was something I could easily talk to the girl about, but with all of our past interactions being extremely terse it was far more comfortable letting the silence persist. The only thing the girl had said was "please let me solo anything we come across. If another monster shows up, then I'll look to you to handle it". Beyond that, the spear user was utterly fine walking without a word. _Oh look, a distraction._

#Keep scouting ahead. We're discussing tactics right now. Sachi can come back if she wants.#

"I'm still too low level," she whispered when I relayed the information. "Everybody works so hard to try and keep me safe, even though I can keep up with them. I have to get stronger. I have to."

"Just keep at it," I advised. "Eventually they'll realise they don't need to baby you. That or have a talk with them. Everybody in a group ought to respect each other. If they can't do that problems are bound to show up at some point." _Now that's two people in their group with dissatisfactions._ "But I take it that means you'll be tagging along for now?" The teen gave her soft spoken assent, adjusting her posture and likely her resolve. "Alright then. Let's continue." For another hour the two of us progressed along the through the Dungeon, Sachi eventually requesting that to fight by her side in her usual quiet manner.

With regards to our trailing comrades, the two of us made it a point to leave behind every third enemy. In the case of multiple enemies, all but the designated target were killed. At that point, Sachi would run ahead while I kept the monster in place, Sprinting after the girl and forcing the aggression system to reset with no targets in range.

"What do you know about the Sword Skill system?" I asked when we stopped for a breather.

"It's the best way to deal damage. Using normal strikes are okay for somebody like me who can pin a target down, but otherwise we're supposed to avoid them."

"Mm. That's not wrong, I suppose. The problem there is that using Sword Skills, whether you land them or not, forces you into post motion. At our low levels they're only tenths of a second, some of them less, but who's to say there won't be skills that make us stuck for a whole second, maybe even three?" _Not to mention the stacking post motion from my Martial Arts chains._ "I'm pretty sure I mentioned this before, maybe back in the forests at some point when I could get away with using two weapons, but there's going to be moments where you're better off using a normal strike instead of getting that forced inactivity."

"That's not what Keita said though." Her quiet voice became even softer towards the end, the girl gaining an almost depressed air.

"Maybe just try it out. Worst comes to worst, it's easier to ask for forgiveness that it is for permission. Especially if your actions bring about results. Anyway, we've been sitting here long enough. Ready to get going?" Upon standing up I glanced at the four figures heading towards us, the greeting in my throat silenced at the sight of their purple skin. "Actually, do me a favor and head back towards the rest of the group? Tell them to take ten or so. And if anybody asks, just say Asasaki's meeting up with some old friends."

"Um?"

"Fine, I'll drop the pretenses. You'll die if you stick around for this fight. Now go, before they decide you're a worthwhile target." At that Sachi bolted off, the four elves snapping their attention towards her. _Deep breaths. You're better equipped and a higher level than before. These four will be a cake walk._ "Hello there, gentlemen." I tucked my hair back behind my ear, mindful to make sure that the Forest Elf earring was prominently displayed. "Are you lost? Maybe I can help you."

The four whipped out their weapons, spreading out in a fan formation as they moved closer.

"What, no words for a fellow traveller?" I brought my own sword out, slowly walking towards them. "Come now, all I want is to try and have a little chat."

"We have no words for the allies of the Forest Elves that slayed our comrades," a surprisingly female voice said. "Die!"

I met their charge head on, dancing underneath the lead straight blade and scoring dual lines on the second elf as I twirled out of my pseudo crouch. My body, tingling with the interference of the system, lurched to the side, an empowered aerial spinning back kick answering the curved blade knocking at my window. _About as minimal damage as I expected, but it's a start._

The one that had spoken earlier was still at her starting point, a wide rapier held by her side. The three that attacked were circling warily, their minor adjustments to probe my reactions going unanswered. "You know genocide is never an answer, but for you gals I think I can make an exception." A Sprint aided «Reaver» brought me out of the encirclement, their footsteps rapidly moving in response. I danced through another barrage of attacks, giving a full retreat when they started adapting to my speed by attacking in unison. "Mind telling me why your boss just standing there pretty while you get all bloodied up?"

A snarl and «Diagonal» was all that answered me, the auto-dodge mod of my Acrobatics forcibly taking control when my reaction brought me right into the path of a multi-hitting sword skill. "Right, fine then." A modified reaver brought me to the farthest enemy, the straight edge user sporting a copy of the rapier's armor. A left knuckle punch to her throat and quick grab of her garb allowed me purchase to tear my sword out, footfalls and clinking metal alerting me to the enemy's approach.

A quick reposition and a flurry of parries met their onslaught, enhanced left hand and the flat of my blade knocking away strike after strike, the majority of the damage negated by the change in momentum. A rush of air escaped my lungs as I collapsed into a backwards roll, angling my body at around 45° to the trio. Sword held parallel with my body, the first two horizontal strikes of «Crosswinds» scratched at nothing but air, the following sprint aided spin forward sending out an invisible third slash that crashed against the elves.

The stumbling form in the corner of my vision was all I needed to let loose a barrage of skills, mindful to make sure the combo count never rose beyond two tenths of a second delay. In that short span of time I had to have taken somewhere around twenty percent of the curved blade user, a short reprieve gained by a targetless Reaver.

 _I seriously miss the reality of reality. That many stabs ought to take anyone down, regardless of how much of a beefcake they are._ "So." I took a small step back, crouching slightly to Sprint back in. "Round two?"

* * *

 _Next chapter should be out_ _ **October 19th**_ _._


	31. Iridescence

_Nothing too much should have changed for this chapter; a few lines in reference to other stuff maybe, but otherwise mostly everything is the same. The biggest change is the final scene with Asuka and Asasaki regarding their plans for the floor._

* * *

" **That's a cute statue you have there."**

" **. . ."**

" **I like how from this side it glimmers blue and orange but then from this side it has a purple and red sheen. You know in English we'd call that trait [iridescence]."**

" **. . . ?"**

" **Guilty. And yeah, I'm totally stalling again. You know how memories of this kind are. Where was I? Right, the rogue Fallen Elves on the third floor."**

If this were reality, I didn't doubt for a moment every single one of my muscles would be writing up a hall long list of grievances. _How long has it been? Ten minutes? Twenty?_ Of the four elves, I'd already felled two of them. The ones still standing I'd learned were siblings, the rapier and longsword users becoming more and more enraged with every attack I snuck onto them.

For the umpteenth time the leader made to lock weapons with mine, this time succeeding. The second elf to have passed had shouted that I could easily be overpowered. It was the last thing she said before offered an eternal nap in the digital cloud. A vice grip on my free arm prevented me from escaping. The longsword piercing me from behind reinforced that bond. Half snarling, she brought her face closer to mine. Spittle would have undoubtedly flew onto my face if body fluids of that nature existed. "You will not escape from here, Demon. I will avenge all those you have killed!"

A rising head to her chin and palm thrust to her chest was my answer. A purposely telegraphed stab lashing out behind me incited a yelp. "That's a cute story and all," I grabbed hold of the now free blade stuck within me and wrenched it free, dismissing it to my inventory for later inspection, "and I'm more than happy to let you entertain that dream, but there's something you're forgetting." My foot slipped past her defenses as the rapier user approached me again, the system releasing the push kick as quickly as it registered. "You're not the hero here."

Blinking away with a Reaver, I turned around and slammed down a potion. _Biggest obstacle here is Miss Stabby._ Equipped with some form of Battle Healing, any damage I dealt to the eldest rarely lasted past three engages, the eldest regularly tagging out with her sword wielding sibling to metaphorically regain her breath.

A glowing blade jetted past my head, the second stab dodged just as easily. I feinted a lunge to the side, reversing my momentum when she surged forward in response. Dancing around her left flank, two strikes that may as well have been slaps scratched against her armor, an analogous Diagonal screeching at me as I leapt away from the strike.

My body tingled once more, whisperings of danger coaxing me airborne. Coiling upon my free hand, I pushed off into a spiraling kick against Stabby's sibling, my meager Strength stat doing nothing more than providing another opening for a quick sword skill.

 _If they weren't Fallen Elves, I think I would have stopped to try and negotiate a ceasefire._

 _ **But you can't do that, can you?**_

 _If I did, who's to say they wouldn't just kill more swordsmen? At least now I know the source of missing people rumors back in Zumfut._ "Keh!" I slipped back into a defensive stance, Slasher holding her pose with a hopeful look on her face. "Don't think a single strike means you have a chance," I sneered, reflexively rubbing at the numb void on my chest. "Your friends are busy turning into mist, you can't pull off that group attack anymore."

"Shut up!" Stabs-a-lot rushed at me from the side, her blade swinging haphazardly in a mix of silver and multicolor glowing blurs. "You swordsmen think you're so special, always killing everything and taking what you want! You are a curse upon this land, and with your deaths we will come closer to returning to the way we once were!"

A glowing bear claw knocked a strike aside, «Island Birth» lancing out and tearing a critical laced chunk of health away. _The battlefield is no place for the innocent._ A Reaver carried me to the rapier user's sister. Throwing all rationale to the wind I let my anger and frustration seize hold of me, tearing into the the weaker of the two remaining Fallen Elves. There was no time to celebrate her choked death cry. The scream of rage behind me heralded a barrage of strikes, my limbs drawing upon a mimicked well of strength I knew I would never touch for years. At the last moment before our weapons clashed again I whipped my blade around and hooked the barbs against the edge of hers, keeping the limb in place as I slide around and behind my foe.

"Scream." A quick shove on her extended arm elicited the command, her hand involuntarily dropping her weapon at the flicker of sensations a broken joint generated. Half moon pivots brought me back in front of her, her right knee suffering the same fate from a kick. Attacks such as these were never pleasant, but given the circumstances I knew I'd forgive myself decades down the road.

"I'll make this simple." A simple push kick brought her to the ground. I stabbed through an exposed part of her unbroken arm, making sure to use enough force to drive my sword through the ground. "You answer my questions and I'll make your suffering easier."

Gritted teeth were my only response, the elf vainly trying to escape from underneath my foot. I called forth her sister's sword, clinically noting it's name of «Floran Oath». Its steel colored edge, shimmering the lightest tint of forest green, slid through her other forearm. "Why were you attacking the swordsmen in here?"

Pained gasps were my only response. I pulled out Floran Oath and speared the elf's arm on the other side of her elbow, finally sparing enough time to focus on her indicator of 'El'zira, Fallen Elf Centurion'. "You're named," I stated, not fully aware enough to offer sympathy. "Why are you named?"

"Every elf has a name, not that you would care for it, monster!"

I reflexively pressed my heel deeper into El'zira's stomach, leaning on her sister's blade as I spoke to myself. "Monster's aren't supposed to have special names like that." I gave another stab somewhere through the elf's upper torso, swapping my weight to my right arm while I finally looked at the blinking indicator over my quest log. "Not normally."

#The Other Side: Defuse the situation with the Fallen Elves.#

"Three targets eliminated and the fourth under ten percent. I'd call that defused." I brushed my hair back behind my ear, lightly fingering the Forest Elf earring. "So before I kill you in revenge for the Forest Elves that were eradicated from this floor, is there anything you'd like you tell me? Better make it fast, by the way. Two swords stuck in you are kind of a death sentence for anyone." El'zira said nothing, her body wracked by restrained fury (though it would later hit me as potentially silent sobs). "No? Then I'll just end you now."

"The Valley of Dragons," she blurted.

"Come again?"

"The Valley of Dragons. There is an underground ruin underneath the lone mountain that houses the Elder Tarragons. My home was in the north east quadrant. It's the only two story building there. Please," I leaned forward, her voice growing fainter as the last dozen health ticked away. "Bury my sister and mine's Memento Tags in the place mentioned in my journal."

The resistance in El'zira's body disappeared, the same smoking trait that all Fallen Elves exhibited upon death emanating from her body. A sigh left my body as I reclaimed the weapons from their sheaths of digital flesh, a change in my quest log stealing my attention.

#The Other Story: Defuse the situation with the Fallen Elves. FAILED.#

#Record of History: Honor El'zira's dying request.#

"Failed?" I questioned. "But you can't fail quests, not unless-"

 **"And as you storm through the door, the Acolyte stabs his dagger into the princess' heart, the dark power stored within the blade unleashed by her royal blood."**

 _But I don't-_

 **"What the fuck!?"**

 **"This might be a game, but it's still a kind of reality. Just because you guys are deliberating what to do doesn't mean the world stops, failure is always an option."**

 _I didn't-_

 **"Hey, that's unfair! You could have at least given us a little warning!"**

 **"Sorry, Sunshine. The world isn't always fair. Just be glad I'm teaching you runts this in a simulation and not out on the field. You can't hesitate in your actions. If you make a mistake, you have to learn how to cope with them."**

 _I- I could have saved them?!_

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

"Miss Asasaki! Miss Asasaki!"

I groaned, tiredly slapping the hand away as I curled into the cold, motionless body I was laying against.

"Miss Asasaki, please, wake up! Your comrades are in danger!"

I rolled away from the voice and into a crouch, hand flying to my waist and failing to grab the knife I habitually kept on my belt. "Where-"

"Down the tunnel, a new monster has spawned that we have no information on. My group is aiding them, but without me, or you, they'll likely be forced to retreat. Survival will not be a guarantee." The sword and shield user collected himself, a brow raised at my actions.

"Then why aren't you with them?!" I materialized Barbed Sabre back onto my waist, moving into a jog light enough that the armored Heathcliff could keep up. _Please keep talking, grey man. I need the distraction._

"No one else could survive the trip to you. Even if the others were faster, if they were to be caught by a monster they'd likely die."

I flinched at his last word, a lance of mental anguish the system could never hope to diminish piercing through me. "Tell me where they are. I'll catch up to to them."

"Is your map of the area complete?"

"As complete as Argo's most recent guide is." _I'll deal with you later._ The handful of windows that had appeared after the battle were closed out, a tiny notification icon taking rest in the bottom right of my vision.

"The largest chamber north of here, the one that's been designated as the best place to fight the dungeon boss."

"Thanks, old man." Spurred on by the lowering bars of my fellow party members, I Sprinted forward at full speed, making use of the time to compartmentalize my actions against the dead Fallen Elves while simultaneously forcing away the tiredness coursing through my body.

"Team B, switch! Team A, pot up! Team M, watch your damage, you're creating too much aggro!" The familiar form of Haregi leapt through the air, the thick piece of metal around his arm trailing a flaming gold through the air as he slammed a fist into side of «Teotihuacan, Empress of the Arachnids». Five other bodies rushed up to the massive spider's form, sword skills unleashed at whatever opening they could find.

"Sachi, Sasamaru, reduce output! Tetsuo, next strike in fifty, get ready to receive! Ducker- where the hell is Ducker!?"

"Ya-hoo! Come on, you old coots!" The yellow garbed teen flourished his dagger down onto Teotihuacan's back. "You can't really let this kid deal more damage than you, are you?!" Two more skills slammed down before he stood up and vaulted away, the spider briefly turning to face him before a flash of light from one of the main front liners took back the aggro.

 _Idiot boy! Of all the stupid, hare brained-_

 _ **He's following after you.**_

 _Shut up! I've already made one mistake, I can't handle locking away another!_ Sprint launched me in a rather tight parabola over Teotihuacan, my blade flashing out with various sword skills. "Oi, Leader! Fit me in! Level 25 with the relevant gear! Am I Tanking?"

"Whoever heard of a DPS tanking?" Haregi shouted back.

"We call it Evasion Tanking!"

 _ **You haven't stretched, you know. If you keep this up, you're going to collapse from Exhaustion. That nap you took didn't-**_

 _My kids are fighting for their life against a goddamn unknown boss and they're all around 70%, I've got three teams who are underleveled and underprepared for this this, and you seriously want to get on my case for trying hard?_

"Miss Asasaki, your output's too high, tone it down!"

 _ **It's the secret boss of the third floor. F**_ ** _ **ū**_** _ **maningun isn't here and you have no experience with the others. If you don't cooperate you're just going to-**_

"Aggro strike, incoming!"

"Tetsuo!"

A thick leg of chitin stabbed through my left shoulder, a tight body suit of webbing suddenly forming on my person. The strands coming from the monster's mouth retracted and introduced me into a warm and musty sauna. In the darkness of the beast's mouth my health began dropping from the sixty percent it had recovered to to a measly twenty, muted battle cries hidden behind a cacophony of masticated viscera.

 _I'm not dying here._

 _ **But after what you did, are you sure you don't deserve to?**_

 _Shut. Up!_ The beast's screeching wrenched me from my thoughts, my body smacking against the ground with a wet plop.

"We need a potion over here! Team C, cover!"

A pair of arms hooked under my shoulders, pulling me away from the battle. Assuming I was away from any immediate danger, I began assisting those around me with the webbing. What greeted me was the furious and tense faces of Keita and Haregi respectively.

"How could you be so hypocritical! Weren't you always saying that it's important to be a team and not a fucking hero?"

"Keita, language!" Even as he reproached the eldest of the Fukasawa children, the refined brute held a potion to my lips.

"No, fuck language! This bitch keeps telling us what to do but won't even practice what she preaches, why should we ever listen to her?!"

 _Everybody just needs to shut up._ I pushed Haregi's offer away, downing one of my higher grade floor six potions in its stead. "What's the condition for that attack?" I asked, repeating it in a demanding tone when neither of the leaders replied.

"Every two minutes, whoever has the highest aggro," Haregi answered.

"Then I'll take point. Adjust your margins as needed." Two minutes was exactly how long my cooldown was for another potion. If I didn't dodge before the next activation, I'd die.

"Asasaki, don't be an idiot-"

"Shut up and fight, Keita. My numbers are bigger than yours. All of yours. I'm level twenty five and my all my equipment has been enhanced at least four times. Playing around your guy's margins means limiting my output severely. Trust me a little, alright?"

"But you're-"

"Keita. Let her do what she wants. Right now, she's our Heathcliff. Until the captain arrives, we work around her. If she says she can handle it, she can handle it."

"Smart man. Any other attacks I should know about?"

"The beast has a three hitting swipe attack. A wide cone for the first two, and a full circle for the third. There's a noticeable windup that signals which direction it will strike first. Each strike after that will be from the opposite direction."

"There's another attack where a single strand of webbing that can't be manually broken will be tethered to somebody at random," Keita added, his tone slightly monotonous. "If you attack while it's there you'll get hit for the same damage, so keep that in mind. It glimmers like a flashlight in your eyes, can't miss it."

"You guys haven't found an Over-Damage Attack yet?" In response to their confusion, "Deal too much damage in a given period of time and the beast responds. The Wolf on the First Floor had a move like that. You guys haven't found one yet?" When they replied in the negative I shook my head. "Guess we'll find out the hard way then." _Wanna say something else? No? Good. Just stay silent and finish shunting those memories away. I can't deal with another mental breakdown right now._

The ODA turned out to be an AoE knockback of pressurized air that dealt minimal damage but had the same range as the spherical swipe. Dodging it within range was impossible and the only way to reduce damage was with a shield or the actual Parry skill. When the stun from the attack wore off, level eighteen «Arachnid Children» spawned equalling half the amount of people that were hit by the attack. Their individual damage wasn't much, but their health was rather high and their focus refused to move off whoever was closest when they dropped. The skill would occur two more times before I finally learned what I needed to limit my output to, and several of us would almost die just as many times from the sudden change in pattern. When Heathcliff finally arrived the beast had just entered its Red mode, each of its abilities occurring much more often alongside the standard stabbing attacks from its legs.

By the time it pixelated into AI heaven, all of us were firmly in the yellow or dangerously bordering the red, including the formerly fresh faced sword and board user who'd taken point at my side and reducing the amount of dodging I'd needed by half. What had caused me to take a few easily avoidable hits was the realization that he never consumed a single potion, instead relying on his Battle Healing and the rare technique known as a perfect Block (raising his shield up and activating the titular skill right before the strike would connect). His timing wasn't perfect, but for his first fight against the creature it was understandable why the cestus wielding Haregi had sung his praises so readily.

"We're done here, right?" I asked, minimizing the after action report instead of closing it.

"There's the matter of the loot, but yes." Heathcliff stowed his weapons away, a small but proud smile on his face as he moved towards me. "I believe I speak for us all when I say thank you, Miss Asasaki. Without you-"

"Look, I'm grateful for whatever you're about to say but can somebody catch me? I've been fighting off Exhaustion this entire time and my body's about to shut down on me. Oh god, it's like the second day again. No really, can somebody-" The darkness that had been creeping at the edge of my vision suddenly lurched, my digital body doing the exact same except forward and likely downward. _Huh. I haven't passed out like this since-_

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

A breeze blew through the opening in the windbreak, the gentle wind giggling through my fingers and lulling my heart rate ever lower. _The construction of this gazebo's amazing. Even after all these years, it's still standing strong._

"How did I know I'd find you here?"

 _Did I call that breeze gentle?_ "Not now, sis. I'm enjoying my weekend." _I lied. It's a tortuous, plague spawned wind that offers nothing but tidings of pain and death._

"Yes, and so is the rest of the family. Now come on, Dawn. This whole party's meant for you. We can't very well celebrate somebody if they're not there."

"We can and we call it the Day of the Dead," I grunted. " Now scram. I'm busy napping."

Eltanin huffed and flicked my head. "Up. I'm sitting down and your fat ass is taking up all the room."

"I am not fat, thank you very much." I did as requested, keeping the back of my left hand over my eyes as I accommodated myself to my sudden lap pillow. "I work hard for my body, and I refuse to accept any comments towards it that do not acknowledge its toned amazingness."

"Yes, yes. And you totally don't revel in the glances all the guys keep taking of you whenever you come with me to the gym."

"It's not my fault civilians are so damn worthless. No offense."

"If the civilian part of our family took offense to anything you adrenaline junkies said, Shakespeare could have written a play about it." Eltanin grabbed hold of several strands of my hair, nimble fingers working them into a braid. "So spill. I know you. Indulgence in laziness does not include hiding away from everybody and snapping at me. It includes half assed moans and groans like you're pretending to be asleep."

"What's the worst kept secret in our family?" I asked after gathering my thoughts.

"That we totally don't have a monopoly in several influential businesses around the county?"

"Enn!" I huffed, mentally steeling myself for finally verbalizing my fears. "It's that pretty much all of the military folk who got stationed in combat zones came out with PTSD, even the ones who didn't lose anybody. You know how it is. How when certain people are here we're not allowed to use noisy fireworks, that war games and action flicks have to be locked away."

"This again?" Eltanin took a sharp breath. "Oh god, I'm- I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it like-"

"It's fine, El." I reached up with my other hand and poked her in the cheek, right eye peering beside my fingertips. "I know what you mean. You have your studies, Rachel, and life in general to worry about. Me constantly bringing up my problems whenever I have a moment doesn't exactly help you with your stress." I sat up, a rueful smile on my face. As I did, the braid she had completed fell off the top of my head and over my eye. "Oh my god, did you seriously give me a padawan braid?" Eltanin snorted at her handiwork,

I scoffed and pushed the braided bang long past regulation length away from my eye, letting it trail down my collar bone. "Look, I don't blame you, sis. What I'm going through, it's my own issue. Sometimes a passing thought just floats on by and suddenly I'm wandering down memory lane." I sighed. "I don't begrudge you." I nudged her with my elbow, leaning forward while making sure my smile didn't portray any of my inner thoughts. "I really don't. You're letting me stay with you and your husband while I take care of things. You're preparing for your whole future of an amazing scientist who will one day cure cancer!" I threw my hands into the air and slumped back into my seat, repeating back to her the same words she constantly spouted as a child. "A traumatized sister would just get in the way of all that."

"You really shouldn't speak about yourself like that."

"Hm?"

"You're still important to me, Dawn. To all of us. You shouldn't speak about yourself like that. It worries me. It really does."

"Yeah, well. Doesn't change the fact that I'm only in the way."

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

 _But was that a dream or a memory?_ The ground pulsated before me, my arms bending at a steady pace. I'd woken up not too long ago, Sachi's soft breathing and my nonverbal grunts the only noise in our simplistic room. _This isn't good. If I'm forgetting what's real and what isn't._ I rolled onto my back, maneuvering a small bundle of fabric under the small of my back to keep myself in place for my core exercises. _That's right. This world isn't real. But even if it isn't, that won't excuse poor treatment of the people in here, it doesn't invalidate their existence._

Making my bed to my usual standards as best as I could, I headed downstairs and got a simple meal of bread and a bushel of berries. _That's right. I killed- no, butchered- four people yesterday. There was no reason for me to be fine with violence. I should have made an attempt to negotiate._ I pulled open my quest log, reading through the most recent addendum.

#Find the journals of the Starfair sisters in the northeast part of the underground city on the sixth floor.#

The line prompted me to take out one of the various journals I'd collected back with Asuna, the system only describing them as «Fallen Elf Journal» with the more ornate one labeled «F.E. Researcher Notes». All three of them contained the same unknown and likely coded script, bits and pieces of the writings sticking out to me as similar syntax and wordings even if I couldn't translate them. "Hopefully El'zira's books are different," I grumbled.

Halfway done with my meal, I began looking through the various messages from my guildmates, Klein requesting I message one of them when possible about my well being.

#Sorry. Got caught up in some monster troubles while I was hanging with the Fukasawa kids. They're in a guild now. Moonlit Black Cats.# Send. #I would have come back last night, but I passed out from Exhaustion and just recently woke up.# Send. # m(_ _)m # _Am I really going to send a kaomoji? Eh, sure._ Send. #Let me know what the plan is for today?#

 _This character limit on messages can go screw itself._ Correspondence with Klein out of the way, I turned my attention once more to my quest log. "I have way too many sidequests." _Deliver Hilde's message at gods know where, Hadvaar's request whenever that comes, the truth behind this 'Sanctuary' that Forest and Dark elves alike seemed to be going for as well as what the Fallen Elves were stockpiling crystal consumables for._

 _ **War, obviously. If potions are the norm on these floors, having instant use versions would be akin to modern day firearms in the age of bows and arrows.**_

 _Look, just because I was thinking it doesn't mean you can go and-_ "God dammit." I hung my head, realizing that at some point I had been allowing my inner critic to return to the ever present source of snark and negativity instead of a sassy but amicable backboard of ideas.

#Going out for a run.# I sent to Ducker. #Let me know if you guys end up leaving before I come back.# _One of these days we really need to have a talk, you and I._

When I had returned from my Sprint aided jog around the floor the sun had fully risen and player activity had returned to its normal levels. As it turned out, Phoneutria Village was the premier staging area for any trips into the third floor tower or the northern part of the forest. It was only because of my habitual rising with the sun that it seemed we were out of the way, much like the Outpost on the first floor.

"She's a bad influence! We can't keep associating with her like this!" The moment I opened the door Keita shot me a glowering look. Without another word he stormed past me, heading down the path that led back to the center of the floor.

"I'll follow after him. I've known him longer, so I should be able to talk him down." Tetsuo gave us all an apologetic look, running after the guild leader.

"Did I interrupt something?"

Ducker shared a look with the rather sullen Sachi. "Nah, not really," he lied. "Just the usual argument that happens whenever you come up during a conversation." The teen slid off the table, his smile admirable but telling attempt at covering the issue. "It's no big deal, just a clash of-"

"It is a big deal." Sachi suddenly looked up, focusing her gaze on me. "Asasaki, why do you follow us? Why do you teach us? Why is it usually you and you alone that comes with us?" It felt weird seeing such a serious look on her face. Normally she was happy, sullen, or nervous, but never vexed.

"Because you guys are kids?" I raised a brow, more than a little confused by the question. "Because I want to try and raise your chances of surviving?"

"So why not hold lessons or teach other people?" She pressed. "Why does it feel like you only spend time with us?"

"The things I teach aren't meant for most people."

"So you admit it."

"Admit what?"

"Admit that what you're doing to us is wrong."

"Okay, time out." I moved my hands into the relevant position. "What's the actual problem here?"

"You're ruining our childhood!"

 _Well I mean, I personally did not cause it, I'm just exacerbating the matter._ "Don't you think your childhood is already going to be ruined just by living in here though?" I pulled out a chair and sat in it backwards, facing the spear user. "Don't misunderstand, I get what you're talking about, but how long did you expect you'd be in here?" In the corner of my eye, Ducker stiffened. "Sachi, it's already been four months and we're only at the seventh floor."

"Eighth, actually," Sasamaru corrected quietly, seeming a little uncomfortable with the conversation. "The clearers beat the floor boss last night, around the time we beat that dungeon boss."

 _Which confirms Teo's appearance was a result from the conditions being met and not just a freak accident._ "Four months and we've only just cleared seven floors. Close to two weeks per floor and there's supposed to be a hundred floors. I couldn't give an exact number but I'll estimate that around two years at our current pace. And at your age, two years is a long time." I did my best to look at each of the children in the eyes, Sachi refusing to meet mine while Sasamaru looked away after a moment. "I get not wanting to forget about the real world, believe me, but don't you think refusing to adjust to the world we're in right now is rather stupid?"

Sachi refused to say anything more, merely hugging herself tightly and seemingly withdrawing into herself.

I sighed. "Just think about it a little, alright? How each person survives in this world is something they have to figure out on their own. Some of us," I shrugged, "some of us just decide that it's better to make use of our situation instead of ignoring it." I patted my hip instinctively, settling for resting my hand there when it found nothing to grab hold of. For what like a full minute nobody said anything. Not I, not the kids, not the handful of other patrons who had ceased all conversation to listen to us. "I think I'd better go. You guys have this whole thing to figure out, and my guild's probably going to need me later today. I'm not sure, they haven't messaged me yet."

In silence I left the inn. Outside the sun was still shining down its artificial rays. The wind was still blowing gently through the trees and birdsong was frolicking around, their sources unseen no matter how hard you searched. "Well, I suppose we'd better get going then. Fūrinkazan's probably still asleep if they haven't messaged me back. Nothing from Asuka or Iseyer either." Another huff of air. I took two steps down the western path before I realized that was exactly where Keita and subsequently Tetsuo had gone done. _Be the adult and try and fix this or ignore the problem in the hopes that it'll solve itself?_ "God damn me and my conscious."

A short trek down the road brought me to a sitting Keita and consoling Tetsuo, the red garbed teen ignorant of my arrival. "I just don't know what to do, Hiroto. I'm supposed to be their leader, but why does it feel like everything I do is a mistake?"

I kept silent, complying with Tetsuo's secretive gestures.

"Nobody's perfect-"

"But I _have_ to be! I'm the oldest of our group!" By this point Keita had reached a point that was undeniably 'yelling', his voice yet lacking the rage that would constitute screaming. "Sachi's home life isn't the best, Ducker would probably be getting into the wrong crowd if we weren't friends with him, Sasamaru's still awkward as ever with socializing, and I'm-!" He cut off, suddenly realizing in his movements that I was there. "You."

I raised a brow, mentally reciting a mantra to keep myself calm.

"Why are you here?"

"Because Zumfut is down this path? Also, I figured I should check on you."

"Well we don't need your help. Not anymore. So just take the Last Attack bonus from that boss you were so desperate to get and just leave us alone!"

 _I'll just file that away for later. Should probably check my inventory properly when I get the chance._ "I assume you speak for your whole guild when you say that?" Keita responded affirmatively, my mind overlaying the image of a frothing dog when he barked out his answer. "Alright then. I won't bother you kids anymore. Can't say anything about you guys approaching me though. I mean Ducker has my contact info and I've already said that I would teach him- wha?" _Why does everybody have to be taller than me in this world?_

"Delete his contact info," the staff user snarled, lifting me up slightly with fistfuls of my collar. "And refuse to speak to him ever again."

A window just behind Keita caught my attention. _Oh, the anti-harassment still works for me? I thought that would've been disabled when I turned off my Morality Setting. We'll just take care of that real quick and-_ "Nope. Ducker wants to learn from me, and I'm not inclined to refuse somebody information that could save their life. And before you start harping on about how I'm ruining his youth or whatnot, could you let go of me? You triggered the harassment system and I'm sure this looks pretty bad to anybody that passes by."

The rage that the teen was harboring continued to seethe, Keita only taking a single step back as he continued to glower at me.

I did what I could to smoothen out my clothes before continuing. "Look, I hate teaching the kid this stuff as much as you hate the idea of me doing it, but! we both know he's better off learning this sort of thing. Knowing how to work an enemy's limbs, where to strike properly, how to force criticals, all the fun stuff that you need to know in order to take down an opponent. That frees up a skill you might otherwise have taken to pad your damage or survivability a little more." _Yeah, keep talking outta yer ass, I'm sure this won't come back to haunt you at all._ "Besides, despite you having a hate boner for me you've got a good head on your shoulders. If you're around I don't think Ducker would ever stray down a path he shouldn't travel." I scratched the back of my head, gently pulling on my bun. "I won't force him though. If he comes to me, I'll teach him, but I won't pester him about it. And it'll all be up to him, you're free to convince him that learning from me is a bad idea. You're a guild leader, you've gotta look out for those you're in charge of. You gotta-"

 _"Now before you even get them into this hold you need to make the decision as to whether you're killing the target or just subduing them. If you hesitate during the transition that split second you wait means your target will escape and counter you."_

"You gotta make sure that everybody under you gets out sane and alive." _But why did that come back now?_ I started walking down the path again, raising a hand in farewell after several steps. "Take care, you two." _Nobody died on me, right?_ Hard as I tried, all I could remember from last night was a sense of frustration and exertion. Irritance at how fate seemed hell bent on screwing me over, apathy at the umpteenth strike that made it through my armor, despondency at the realization I had been unable to dehumanize somebody I had killed. "War is hell," I muttered. "Were it not for our circumstances, I would like to think we would have been friends."

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All things considered, having a snack break at the edge of a floating island with nothing but hundreds if not thousands of feet of air between me and the ground below ranked among the top of the most exhilarating things I'd ever done. With equipment repairs and supplies replenished (including a set of better tasting potions from Hilde), I'd spent the past few hours gliding around to the various islands. Other players were a bit of a scarcity on them, something I learned was a result of the effort needed to upgrade the gliders. The ones that I did come across were more than happy to have another player progress through the dungeons with them. In an attempt to limit the amount of attention I drew though, I made sure to limit myself to the standard moves that my temporary companions used, grateful that their levels were high enough to not warrant my unique fighting style.

"It's cool that a potion making skill actually exists though," I mumbled around my food. "Might have to bring somebody I trust with that skill to Hilde someday." I rolled onto my back, licking the residual taste off my fingers. "God, it's going to suck once I get out of here. How weak am I going to be?" I closed my eyes, an rueful smile spreading across my face. "I wonder if anybody's taking care of my body? Making sure I switch sides regularly, try and stretch out my muscles." As I spoke I moved into a few lazy stretches, wishing the usual sensations would have occurred from the movements. "Think I'll get any special treatment from being a foreigner? Nah, doubt it."

Arms spread out with my lower legs still hanging off the edge, I reopened my eyes. "A year. After one year of being in here and enjoying myself, I'll start taking this seriously and join the clearers." I sat up, scooting back a little more as a precaution. "Right. Come next October, I'll be helping those muscle headed brutes clear the floors and deal with all the bosses. Gotta represent woman kind and all that." I snorted and flopped back down. "Maybe. I'll let another gal handle that sort of pressure. Just helping everybody progress along'll be fine enough for me."

Some thirty odd minute passed in silence, nothing but the occasional roar of wind and flapping of wings disturbing my peace. When I next opened my eyes it was to the soft beeping of an alarm I had set up, an alert that I needed to get going if I wanted to meet up with my guild on time.

"That was a good nap. I need to remember to do this more often." A flourished tap of my inventory digitalized a pair of goggles onto my eyes, a quick adjustment making them more comfortable. "We doing this the normal way or the extravagant way?" After a moment I snorted, taking a few steps back. "Extravagant, dur."

T _his world is so amazing. If we weren't trapped within it, I think I might appreciate it a lot more. But maybe,_ I started running, diving off the edge and performing a few twirls before reorienting myself headfirst towards the ground. _Maybe that just makes it that much more special._ Another set of flourished swipes slash taps called forth my glider, the frame in my hands vibrating imperceptibly as I secured myself within it.

The wind rushed through my hair as I pulled out of my nosedive, my ponytail whirling in a mess I knew I'd regret but couldn't help but enjoy. I let out a loud whoop, thrusting a single hand into the air as I lost myself to the excitement. From this high up, the whole of the floor spread out before me. The tower leading to the next floor lay in the western plains, the flatlands rising up into a rather steep mesa that demanded traversing through the labyrinthian tunnels in order to access the main course. Scattered throughout the rest of the floor were the two other pillars, the decoys long since hypothesized as an explanation to how the whole of Aincrad was supported.

 _Which of course explains why we can't just head straight to the right Tower. Gotta try our luck and find the proper one._ As I neared Coriola Village I began adjusting my speed, circling the area a few times to locate a proper landing spot. Identifying a stretch of road near the large group I figured as my own, I began my rather speedy descent, flaring up at the last moment and landing on my feet much like a parachuter.

" _That's_ what we missed out on?!" Issin whapped the back of his hand against Klein's chest. "But that looks like so much fun!"

"It also would have taken us the better part of a day or two to acquire, time better spent practicing and leveling," the man answered smoothly. "Da- Asasaki. Good to see you again. Enjoyed your day off?"

"Very much so," I replied, putting both my goggles and glider away. "And what about you guys? What have you been up to since yesterday morning?"

"Training, training, and more training," Issin ticked off. "I mean we were doing other stuff at the same time like getting enough materials to equip the elves up properly but training was still the main reason."

"You really ought to join us for more sessions, Asasaki. Harry and I have a decent idea of how to help you work with the team, but we could always use more experience together."

"Yeah," I glanced over at the others, the elves travelling with us freely mingling with everyone. Off to the side Asuka and her companions were watching silently, the scholar and inheritor conversing about something from a piece of parchment. "I think for the next week or so I'll be sticking with you guys. Besides, the seventh and eight floors are going to be the best place to level up, aren't they?" I gave a sly grin as I shifted my weight onto my right leg. "If I want to be able to enjoy my vacation, I need to be as strong as I can get to not have to worry about anything."

The two gave me a confused look. As one they turned towards each other and gave simultaneous shrugs. "Okay, everybody!" Moving on from my words, Klein clapped his hands together, the sound bounding around the area. "It's about time we get going. Our journey today is going to be through the sixth floor tower, leading into the seventh floor. The region was unlocked early last week but it's still unexplored enough that there'll plenty for us to do. Team leaders, your roles and rotations have been discussed this morning so make sure to pass the information on. If anybody gets into any trouble, don't be afraid to call for backup. There shouldn't be any problems except for a few mini-bosses," Guardians, the inhabitants of Aincrad called them, "but even so, we're getting up to the next region alive, alright? Nobody's allowed to have only memories of them travel with us."

I chuckled at the rather morbid joke, Klein's reproachful delivery inciting a bit of laughter from the others.

"Alright!" Another clap. "Team 1, we'll be taking point first. Take down anything we come across cleanly and efficiently. We won't be stopping for breaks until we hit the base of the mountain." With a deep breath, Klein brought his hands together grandiosely, those of us familiar with the ritual moving with him. "And all together!" The resulting clap boomed, the following silence chilling in the most wondrous of ways.

Fūrinkazan sans Kunimttz and myself began heading northwest out of the village, the spearman in question walking towards me with his weapon resting against his shoulder. "You're with me today, Asasaki. We'll be teaming up with the Ol'dekhaan. They're a bit fierce in a way that you aren't, so just be like me and back them up where they allow us. Despite being two people down they're still a solid team, so don't take offense if they don't say much. They much rather actions over words, though I suppose you already knew that." The man gave me a bit of a glare, though in Kunimittz body language it was meant to be an encouraging.

"I'll follow your lead then." I gave a lazy salute, offering my two Contracts in their own teams a wave before following after my fellow Swordsman.

With the chill but refreshing winter weather cheering us on, our group of some twenty five people marched towards the tower. Aside from a few incidents regarding the first encounters with new monster types, our trek went by unhindered. Perhaps the most surprising thing was how smoothly each fight went. The full group of Fūrinkazan members were able to fix the majorly glaring problems after their second fight, Haru dialing back his newfound voracious assassin like behavior to take down only the designated targets in a single string of abilities.

The newest contingent of Forest Elves from the previous floor took a few fights before they were able to show a better sense of unity with their six siblings, resorting to verbal commands from each floor's leader to harmonize properly.

As for my group of four goblins and two swordsmen, our fights went by exactly as Kunimittz predicted: supporting the goblins in the gaps they provided us. Were it not for the obviously marked zones in which we should be in, I felt certain in saying that our teamwork would have been significantly more messy.

By the time our break rolled around, all verbal orders had become nothing more than a formality, our fights against the for once simplistic AI little more than rinse, wash, and repeat of the same 'grab aggression, damage until special attack begins wind up, evade attack, loop'. While Kunimittz never went beyond a handful of words in his answers, our fights had become boring enough that I could ask him inane questions about this or that, most of which regarded clothing or armor designs I'd seen in the past.

A little bit into the period of rest, I'd joined the spearman at the rock face of a lone mesa. "Where do you think they got the inspiration for this area from? The opening region of this floor reminds me of some pictures I've seen of a few hiking spots in China, but this place? I've got nothing." For a good mile or so, the land around us was nothing but rolling hills of grass and the occasional tree. The monsters that roamed around consisted of winged serpents still classified as Tarragons, the occasional heavy set drake capable of spitting out elemental breath attacks, and a slew of herbivorous animals marginally larger than reality ranging from torso sized hyperactive rabbits, prairie dogs able to use martial arts and likely packing unarmed combat skills, and while scanning the horizon I swore I saw a beetle the size of an ATV scuttling about.

"If not China, then maybe somewhere Europe," he gruffed out. The man shifted for the umpteenth time since we sat down, desperately trying to find some comfort against the wall as composedly as possible. "The valleys with the floating islands definitely feels like China or some sort of Hollywood movie, but these plains wouldn't be out of place in a medieval knight series if some ruins were scattered around."

"Yeah, I can see it." I folded my legs to the side, grateful for the warmth my cloak from the first floor provided in the shaded breeze. I could have easily gotten a new one from another floor, more elegant and luxurious, but it felt wrong not using at least something I so readily connected to Satoru.

"Asasaki. Answer me this: what exactly do you plan on doing in the upcoming floors in regards to the elven questline? The rest of the guild is set on just enjoying ourselves and taking it easy for the next couple weeks, but you, and by proxy Choryu, as well as Harry seem determined to see this through to the end. That's only three people against whatever's going on plus that other player you mentioned. And it's not as if you're safe fighting players either!" Kunimittz sat up from the ground and thrusted a finger towards me, having given up on finding comfort against the wall. "You're lucky we were among 'allies' back on the fourth floor," the looseness he used the term could be felt, "and if it weren't for their goodwill you would've been SoL with that orange icon of yours. You wouldn't have been able to enter most safe zones, if you were by yourself players would instantly have distrusted you, and-"

"I know, Kuni, I know." I huffed, my good mood kowtowing in the path of annoyance. "And as for what I'm going to do," I looked to the side. "I dunno. Three people against each floor of Fallen Elf soldiers and their elites is going to be a pain." _Impossible would be the better word._

 _Oh, was that actually me that thought that one? Huh, that's a little worrying._ "If nothing else, that just means I have to go crazy with my training so my numbers can keep us all safe. Maybe find some better gear to stay at ahead of the curve."

"And there we go."

I blinked. Where Sachi had said something similar in accusation, this spear user had said it in forlorn resignment. "Alright, you lost me. What turned the lightbulb on?"

His confused look blossomed into understanding, minute as ever. "You're different than us. I think most people would have shied away from going up against those odds, but you just said you'd become overleveled enough that you could handle it. Were you not here, I think Harry and Choryu would have done the same as us and let this whole situation go. But you are here. And now, the rest of us are stuck wondering whether or not you guys will even come back next time the Elves call on you."

Barking laughter reflexively left my lips, his words uttered far too often amongst those of my family who had never joined the military. "Yeah, that's about the right sentiment to be carrying." In response to his affrontment, "I really don't know what I could tell you. Once a upon a time and were we closer, I might have said 'Don't worry. I'll make sure we all come back home.' or maybe even 'I'll die before I let anybody under my command get medically discharged.'. But that was ages ago. I'm a different woman now, and I know all too well that shit happens."

I took in a long breath, holding it in for a few moments before sliding my legs out in front of me with the exhalation. "This whole issue with the Fallen Elves? It's pretty much a war. A war that we don't need to be participating in, a war that we have no right in participating in, but because I personally know people involved with it, I feel obligated to help them out; especially when I know I can make a difference. Harry wants to follow this story through to the end because he loves his quests- so I've been told- and Choryu is tagging along because I think he feels a need to be my six even though I'm perfectly fine running solo."

Another breath. _Out, two, three, four._ "If it was up to me, I would bar them from joining me. But it's not. This is their choice, and they're free to make whatever decisions they want. As the one with the most experience in this sort of thing and perhaps arguably the strongest of our group," Kunimittz snorted something suspiciously along the lines of 'pompous ass', "it falls to me to make sure they come out as unscathed as possible. Considering my own track record of avoiding injuries I know I don't have much of a history to show off, but Choryu and Harry've got five people who are looking forward to their return, so I'm sure I can find a way to manage. What I'm saying is, trust in me a little, why don't you? I know in this sort of thing I don't have any sort of favorable results to back me up, but that's because it was my own decision and life on the line. Once you become responsible for somebody else," I shrugged. "Things become a lot more different."

Immediately Kunimittz responded. "God you're old, you know that?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You are so damn old. You're basically a whole generation or two older than us. And they were calling you 'Little Miss'. They should have been calling you Elder. Wait, no. Madame. There we go. Flows much better with their monikers of 'Ninja' and 'Developer' they had for you."

I snorted, bringing a loose fist to my lips. "Kuni, are we friends now?" I asked after regaining control of myself.

"Friend is a bit generous," he said dryly, face now back to its usual vaguely irritated appearance. "Acquaintances or Work Associates would serve much better."

I chuckled and shook my head, bringing a single leg in to rest my hands upon. "It's a step forward. I'll take it."

Klein's voice broke out, the man standing lower on the slope so that all of us could see him. "Alright, everybody! Break time's over! We've got a long push ahead of us and there's only a few places to stop once we get inside. Make sure we're playing smart and efficiently, don't be afraid to back off to pot up. We've got numbers on our side here so there's no excuse to play hero." Once more the leader of Fūrinkazan called for a unifying round of claps, a series of triplets cracking through the air. "Team 3, you'll be taking point first."

"Show time, Spearman. Try not to get tripped up when I dance around you, alright?" I ribbed.

"Try not to get gored through the torso again. That'd be what? Your tenth?" He fired back.

"Probably. I've stopped taking count recently." _And isn't that the most of concerning of things._

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"With every floor we ascend, I can't help but wonder what else is waiting for us in this world." Asuka stared out at the horizon with a dreamy smile. "Each new sunrise and sunset, the cultures we meet, the stories we collect. It's such a strange feeling, seeing the writings of my ancestors in person." The red headed trader gave another satisfied sigh, chin resting on her folded arms.

"Air smells different," I commented, the scent having kept hold of my attention the past several minutes. "I know it's a lot more forested than the Black Iron Kingdom, but it still feels about the same, what with all the conifers and all that." After exiting the sixth floor tower we'd all split off for a short break. Everybody else had set up a small camp back near the exit but Asuka and I had traveled a little farther up a hill that looked over the region.

"Well of course it'd smell different. Even if the trees are the same, this is an entirely different area. The Black Iron Kingdom may have been the center of trade before the Great Separation, but we were still the defending line against the lands claimed by the monsters of the world." A cough. "Even if we're starting to learn that all monsters are not as uncivilized as we once thought."

"I dunno, it's hard to put into words. It's like," I shifted my weight onto my left leg, hip cocking to the same side. "It's like there's more life around here, more vibrancy. Back on the first floor, the air smelt- I feel kind of bad saying it but- it felt corrupted. No, that's the wrong word." I took another whiff, closing my eyes to better process the information.

Earthy. Green. A slight chill from the wind that energized rather than sealed. Perhaps it was the years of desert air speaking, but every inhalation made me want nothing more than to throw all responsibilities away and alternate between dancing and hiking through these woods.

"It's lacking the smell of smithies and farms," Asuka said once I opened my eyes. "It took you bringing it up, but the air here's untainted by the kind of combustibles we'd use in a forge." Pointing to the few smoke stacks lazily rising over the treeline, "There's still fires of course, but those look like the kind you'd get from cooking."

"I suppose that'd be our first stop then."

The fencing hobbyist rose to her feet, joining me at the edge of the hill. "Yup! Evermoor Village is supposed to be our starting base of operations. From what Klein mentioned, the town that swordsmen can access through your portals is right in the center of the floor, but it's surrounded by a ring of dense forest and completely littered with traps. The only way to get through is to hire a guide from one of the villages or risk the dangers and go on your own." Asuka gave one of her business smiles, the kind that expressed nothing but amiability while hiding irritation. "Perhaps in two or three days, once we figure out what else we of Tolbana can acquire from the region, will we make our way into the heart of the Forgotten Forest."

"S'there a history behind that name?" I asked once I got over the alliteration.

"Criminals, sentient monsters that were caught infiltrating civilized societies, and other 'undesirables' of the time were dropped off at these woods. All that's been recorded on any of our maps were a few spots were carts would drop off their cargo. Those that survived were never cared for, and thus my forefathers of generations past came to call these woods that." The false smile turned real, the woman proud of the recitation of her lineage.

"Hopefully they aren't too angry with our arrival then."

"Far from it! Apparently the locals are ecstatic about swordsmen. It seems in recent years they've been unable to get to some of their better resources, but the presence and willingness of your kind have been helping them immensely. I'm sure there will be more than plenty of things for us to take care of and build a good rapport with."

 _Why does that sound like you read that from one of Argo's guides?_ "Sounds like we'll have our hands full. All of us."

"No more busier than we normally are. I kind of envy you, Asasaki. As strong as you are, you'll be able to go places I could only dream of." Asuka raised her hands to the sky, fingers spread as if trying to catch something. "Not that I'm saying I wish I had your skill set, but it must be so incredible to be able to go where ever you want simply because you want to and know you can handle anything that comes up."

"If I ever figure out how to take pictures, I'll be sure to get as many as I can." I rose and hugged her from behind, a sense of sorrow infusing me.

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 **Journal entry XXX, Date: January 10th, 2023**

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 **Fdwotve 03'f ltkexm fexet qxf wttk smdvedxepkr ej gxeqtg taegtlt utrgttf. Dkpe 01 qxf wttk fitkupkr ldvq eplt taxlpkpkr eqt uxex; eqpf dkpe pf gxeqtg vjkvtgktu bpeq eqt tssjge ide pkej eqt lxeetg. Xf itg eqpf dkpe'f upgtvepctf, vjkexve bpeq dkpe 01 qxf wttk ntie ej x lpkpldl qjbtctg. Eqpf dkpe bpmm vjkepkdt ej taigtff eqpf jipkpjk jkmz pk eqtft tkegptf.**

 **Bqz bxf eqpf dkpe upgtvetu ej tkvjut eqtft tkegptf pk fdvq x fplimpfepv lxkktg? Eqtgt xgt ljgt fprkpspvxkemz upsspvdme vpiqtgf ej depmpyt. Eqt upgtvejg ldfe qxct x gtxfjk.**

* * *

 _This chapter has been updated March 26, 2019_ _._


	32. Hygge

_The following scenes were changed to better reflect the timeline: Opening (changed from doing some quests to gain access to the Portal Town to observing the Arena in the center); Conversation with Klein (as the second highest floor, the presence of Clearers is still there, but not as prevalent); Business with Isuke (to bring mention of his scene from Interlude 3)._

* * *

" **You know all things considered, for my first winter here in Japan I'm actually fairly**

 **well off. I'm boarding with a friend who's helping me find a place of my own now that I've got another job lined up, and my sister's still in the city and is going to come with me to the party this Christmas. It's all very comforting. As far as things go, I'm doing just fine."**

The gentle wind of the seventh floor blew once more, delivering another breath of the forest. Below in the center of the arena, combatants moved to a rhythm all their own, light red droplets of energy splashing out from every hit and disappearing into the sand and gravel.

"You look like you belong in a harem manga, Lady Asasaki."

Tensed muscles (or at least the memory of them) were carefully unwound, the thought of what Shen might do to me if I knocked his nephew off the wall keeping me in check. "And you need to work on your compliments some, Runt." _Then again, he might just pass silent judgement on the kid if he managed to get caught._

Sora gave an offended moan, joining me at the edge all the same. "What brings you up here? I figured you of all people would be down there fighting."

"Fūrinkazan just got back from an excursion in the woods. We're enjoying some R&R right now." I winced at a particularly nasty strike. A figure I swore was Vector of guild World Market had jammed his axe into somebody, the trailing particles of a sword skill visible from here guiding the poor bastard through a perfect parabola into the ground. A window illegible from here stating who the victor was promptly appeared.

"That's always nice." Sora followed my gaze back towards the center, laughing a little at what I assumed was another fight. "By the way, if you ever get bored, you should don our gear and run with us. Fūmaningun's been patrolling the floor while we train on monsters. Helping people out of binds, acting as tour guides, keeping high level monsters under control. I'm sure it'd get us a lot more popularity if they saw you around. You know you still have a bit of fame, right?"

Blandly, "Sora, I do have a guild."

"I know." The teen stared straight ahead, his posture oddly concerning. "But I think you make a much better shinobi than you do samurai."

I shook my head. "I made my decision, Runt. Please respect it."

The kid laughed awkwardly. "Sorry. I just think it'd be really cool if you joined us. There aren't exactly many girls in the guild. I'm sure if you joined up a lot more would follow after you."

 _Did he just-?_ "I'm telling Shen about this conversation."

His face paled dramatically. "Please don't."

"Tough luck, kid." I stood up and moved to the outside part of the wall, giving a warning before I began dropping down arch by arch. "You better start working on your excuse now, before Gramps catches you." _Nobody better tell that kid about the Morality setting._

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

Even if it was no longer the front line, Awass Town was still very much active, undoubtedly thanks to the nearly unlimited amount of safe experience that could be gained by dueling NPC's and Players alike in the arena. The bustle I'd come to expect for each new floor wasn't here, but the pace its current inhabitants maintained was energizing all the same.

Partway into my lackadaisical stroll around the town, I came upon a large group blocking all traffic. A quick visual scan of the buildings and a Sprint brought me well on my way to passing them, errant comments making me reconsider my plan.

"Hey, NPC! Give me a quest!"

"Mitsui, right? Is there anything I can do for you?"

I plastered on my customer service expression with all the force of a jilted lover, my breaths coming out a little harsh despite the mantras I was screaming in my mind.

"I'm sorry, right now I'm not in need of anything. Maybe another day?" Mitsui must have been wearing a similar expression, though I wasn't quite sure if the emotions she had were the same.

Another scan. Tingling legs carried me back up the side of the building. A kick sent me soaring over their heads, neatly depositing me in the small clearing around Mitsui. In an instant she rushed over and buried herself in my arms, trembling from the panic. "Hey, back off!" The bodies surrounding us drowned out my voice, the closest of them yelling at me for cutting in line.

 _Alright. Full force of an angry squad leader after inspection day, let's go._ I took a deep breath, all my irritations channeled into the single word. "QUIET!" Silence descended upon us. Another breath. "Oi, break it up! My client has somewhere to be and all of you are in my way!" At last, some movement. "If you want to receive a quest from Mitsui, you have to clear the quests from Hibiki and Yamaguchi first! I've already done that, so she has no troubles working with me. Now tell me, which of you lot have done that?!" No one raised a hand. "Do any of you even know where those two are?" Again, nothing. "Well then, you have your goal. So get to it!" The crowd slowly shambled off, more than a few people sending me laughable attempts at glares.

I huffed, idly realizing that I had been holding Mitsui rather intimately. "Don't tell Hibiki," I muttered when traffic began resembling its former state. "Yamaguchi I'm sure will be more than ecstatic in his stoic way about the influx of swordsmen wanting to improve themselves, but I just know Hibiki will somehow botch my next meal with the wrong spice or something."

The inheritor of the trading guild slowly stepped away and giggled, following after me to the side of the road. "I'm sure Yamaguchi will find areas for him to work in if he doesn't do that himself. You swordsmen can be rather rather surprising." The redhead glanced away, looking rather embarrassed. "But thank you. It's a bit frustrating that I freeze up when dealing with a large crowd when my goal is supposed to unite all the branches of the guild. I ought to be able to take care of stuff like this on my own."

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. You'll get over it eventually. Besides, you've grown up in an isolated region holding a hundred people, maybe three hundred at most in any settlement you've been to. These past few months have been a drastic contrast to that. You've talked to village leaders, captains, sergeants, fought haunted trees and a damn near eight foot- uh, two and a half meter tall bipedal oxman." _Pun not intended._ "All this," I gestured around us, the action more random flailing than meaningful pointing. "It's one big learning experience. People aren't born amazing, Mitsui. Maybe disposed towards certain things, sure, but nobody starts out as a perfect leader. My sister once told me one of her Professors would always say 'Experience is how you learn not to do certain things. Mistakes are how you gain experience.'"

Testing the word out, "Your sister's 'professor' must be a very wise man."

"He was in his fifties if not sixties, I think. He might have been a little set in his ways, but he definitely took more than a few trips around the block." _Crap, how do I explain this one?_ "Knew his way around a smithie. Er, anvil? Kitchen?" I let out a puff of air. "He was experienced." Another giggle. This one gave me the sense of amusement at my expense. "Hey, do you wanna go grab something to snack on? I know it's a little early, but I haven't eaten anything since this morning."

"I wouldn't mind getting myself some candied fruits," she confessed. "I saw a stall that was selling some near the main west road."

I frowned. More statement of fact than question, "That's a bit of a trip from the main food part of the merchant's district, isn't it?"

In response, "A little walk never hurt anyone."

"Mitsui, I just got _back_ from a little walk. Done with one, even." Contrary to my complaints I still pulled out my map and Argo's Guidebook for the floor, charting out the best course for us. "I'd rather not do any more walking if I have to."

The merchant pouted. "Oh come on, Asasaki. It's not that much of a distance from-"

"Got the route. C'mon, it's this way." I gently tugged Asuka along, her hand clasping around mine after the first few steps. "So how have your deals been going along?"

"They're doing pretty well!" She chirped. "The representatives of Mistcrest and Stonemire were already escorted back to their homes, but the other four village elders were more than willing to meet with me." Her smile faltered a little. "Even if they weren't exactly open to any kind of trade."

"Didn't have any interest in what you had to offer?"

She looked around furtively before speaking again. "I didn't exactly take out my prized hens during those meetings. There's six different villages here; there might be some differences between their cultures, but in the end they're probably similar, right? So, I'm having some of Fūrinkazan do some searching around for me during their down time. Ask around a little about each of the villages and what they value." She coughed lightly into a fist. "The tournament they hold every couple years to decide who gets to be in charge of everything just ended, but if I can grab the attention of somebody who has the most to offer with something like say the bags full of weapon plans and fighting styles I have, I'm certain I can seal a deal."

I sniffed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing tightly amidst her attempts to rebuff me. "Aw, look at you! Using that big ol' head of yours to be smart and stuff." I laughed and let her go, the woman batting my shoulder one last time for good measure. "I'm serious though. That's something really smart you're doing. People new to your line of work might have just offered everybody the same deal, but you're keeping some cards close to your chest and trying to figure out what would give the best return."

Her head turned towards the ground. Meekly, "It's what some of the journals from my predecessors said. Both as an employee of the trading guild and as one of its leaders, we have a duty to make sure that the transactions we make are what's best for us. If we just take the first option we see instead of shopping around, it's a tremendous failure."

"Sounds like your predecessors were very wise," I parroted.

"Yeah, they really were, weren't they?" She gave me a small smile.

For a moment, I could see the weight on her shoulders; a fear that she would never live up to the legacy she was to uphold. "Hey, come on. The candy store's right over there." I pointed towards the stall in question, several strips of what looked to be dried mangoes twirling from the breeze. "Why don't you go show me that amazing merchant ability of yours? I've seen how you are during a negotiation, but a simple purchase like this isn't really something I've seen from you."

"Asasaki," Mitsui stared at me, far too amused than she had a right to. "Bartering isn't something done in this region. Their history, that of criminals and other outcasts, meant that if they needed things they learned to make set pricings instead of trying to take advantage of others. If they couldn't trust the person they were making an exchange with, how could they trust them while out in the field?"

"Ah." _So very articulate, aren't you, Dawn?_ "I guess your meetings are a different story then?"

"Indeed." The Tolbanian went up to the store owner all the same, purchasing a few sacks of various fruits. Most of them were vaguely familiar to me, but the similarities ended only at color. Even then, I didn't doubt that what I thought looked to be some kind of pear would end up tasting like a durian.

Afterwards, the two of us lolled through the merchant district, eventually passing through the proper food section. Of the delicacies available, the only thing that caught my eye was a stall offering homemade rations comprised of the local deer and various berries. The safest option, really.

We were well within the Player's section of the district when Mitsui shifted from pleasure to business. "By the way, the next time I send you to Tolbana can you stop by a candied fruit store along the southern path to the Guild? Eating this made me long for some of our local delicacies again."

"The one with the glass windows instead of open air?" I asked. "I think I actually stopped there early on. They were pretty good, if a little expensive."

"Oh please," the redette's exaggerating dismissal replete with body movement stole my attention away from my browsing, her hair sliding around her back to rest on her shoulder. "I've seen the quality of materials you guys bring back after your trips into the wilds. Money is _not_ a problem."

"When I said it was expensive, I meant that was still the first floor and we weren't used to everything yet. Besides, even if we have a full rainy day fund now doesn't mean we should be frivolous with our current income." I rolled my eyes at Asuka's continued needling, chalking her desire for higher quality items to her upbringing. "I suppose I could stop by and pick up a few bags of your hometown specialties though. Want me to grab a few bottles too?"

The moment Asuka opened her mouth after some thinking, a stranger suddenly slid between us, laying an arm around our shoulders. "If it's specialties you're after, I have just the thing."

The youthful voice jarred a memory aside. "Wait, don't I-"

"Yes, ma'am, at Agil's World Market we have everything you could possibly hope for. From armors to weapons, materials, and yes my lovely ladies, even food." The bright eyed and wild haired Siegfried pushed us along to a rather garish stall, the somehow completely contrasting colors of the banners and other materials reminiscent of modern art. "Feel free to look at our wares. Buy or merely look, we are fine with both." Spiel given, the teen slipped away, leaving us with the leader of World Market.

"So," I started.

"So," Agil repeated in English. "What brings the little ninja of Fūrinkazan to my humble stall? I would have imagined that one so esteemed such as yourself would never dare appear in such a boorish place."

"Eloquence does not suit you, Agil." I sniffed and gave him a once over. "Not dressed like a common Adventurer, anyway. Maybe if you threw on something significantly more smarter I'd give you a pass, but right now, eh."

His face fell, all pretenses gone. "Asasaki, please. I have a wife."

"And mama's window shopping, am I not allowed to appreciate the goods?" I gestured at him, snorting when he rolled his eyes.

"Hi, yes." Asuka leaned over slightly and thrust out an open hand between us. "My name is Mitsui and I am, what I believe the saying is, 'out of the loop'?"

I cleared my throat and collected myself. "Mitsui, this is Agil. He's a friend. We met here in Aincrad but as it turns out he's from America as well. As for the language we were speaking, it's called English. Sorry for leaving you out like that, but we don't get to speak in our native tongue that often, so it's become habit for us to do that."

"Oh, and so you're fine to be 'eloquent'," Agil suddenly said, "dressed up like you're some shinto priest?"

"What? Where did that even-? It's nowhere near the traditional outfit that a miko would wear!"

"It's the way it looks, Asasaki! Your color scheme might be the colors of Fūrinkazan but you still look like a cosplayer!"

I most certainly pretended not to notice Asuka's tasting of the word. "You take that back, I will not suffer this indignity!"

"Woman, you wore a damn santa suit! You are a cosplayer!"

"Oh, is that how it is?" I placed my fists on my hip, an indignant expression on my face as I stared up at the man. "Well then, see if I don't take my business elsewhere." I managed all of two steps before Agil's response broke over the quieting din of the marketplace.

"You watch me send Jun and Siegfried after you! Squirt might not have recognized you in that get up, but the two of them have been yammering every other day to me about when's the next time 'Grandma Asasaki' will swing by. I'll have them dog your every step if you don't get your pint sized ass back here!"

 _Oh he did not just call me that._ I scoffed and turned around, letting my jaw hang in only partially acted astonishment. "Hey, you wanna speak a little louder? I can't hear you from up there."

Agil motioned towards a fully armored form who was undoubtedly Kinboshi, the man taking the place of Agil who vaulted over the stall front. Slowly, the two handed axe wielder strode over to me, staring me down with an equally taunting (if minorly hesitant) look on his face. "Pint. Sized. Ass."

"Uh, guys-"

In Japanese, our semi-heated English having worried more than a few people, "Go ahead and stand behind the stall with Kinboshi over there," Agil said. "This won't take but a minute."

"Yeah, because you can't even last that long." Even as our jabs and ribs continued flying, our hands never stopped moving. By the time our final barbs were shared, the timer for the duel was just hitting zero.

Dust flew up in my wake, my blade poised to strike at Agil's torso. _Oh right, he knows how to fight._ I spun to the side, dodging a knee that would have clocked me right in the chin. My rising slash clinked against the haft of his axe, a countering pommel strike rushing through the space I had just evacuated.

"Having trouble keeping up? Don't worry about it too much. Us here on the front lines are a different breed than you city folk staying where its safe." Agil flourished his weapon, slowly advancing towards me. Purely for show of course. Our antics had gathered a rather sizable crowd after all.

"I'm just afraid keeping it up is a problem you're trying to compensate for. Such a large weapon you have, is that how you maintain your masculinity?"

"Oh that's a low bl-"

The moment his stance dipped in shock I shot in with a Sprint aided Reaver, having done the move enough times that I'd memorized the moment I could recover to face my point of origin. "You mean these strikes? Why yes, of course they're going to be low blows." _How did that line go again? Of course it's a kick._ My next approach was nothing more than a simple Sprint pushed to its limit, weapon held in position for a Reaver. Agil's block went wasted, his entire form treated like bar used for pole vaulting. Three streaks of light lanced out as I arced over. A rotating axe kick glancing off the front of his exposed shoulder letting me face properly for a repulsing side kick. _That's what makes the punch magic._ "Five Oh, Goliath. Looks like David wins again."

Agil's focused face barreled towards me, my attempt to dodge subverted by the head of his axe reeling me in like a cane in a cartoon.

My head met his knee twice. Despite my blurred vision, my HUD was completely perfect. The Stun icon continued ticking down as Agil's axe swung towards me in triplicate, the angry red glow of his axes slamming into my body like I was nothing more than a golf ball. My health plummeted forty percent, an additional three bleeding out as I rolled along the ground. _Things I am grateful for: pain in this world is represented by the absence of sensation._

Around two and a half Reaver's away from me, Agil gave a victorious pose, riling up the crowd with a few gestures. _Hey, me, can we get serious please? Literally one more hit and we lose this duel and I am not looking forward to that._ "Ah, of course, me. Just please, go closer to the scary man with the double sided axe who can three shot you," I grumbled. "I'm sure that won't go wrong at all." I jogged back towards Agil, the leader of World Market entering a ready stance. _Oh who am I kidding. We'll just wing this._ Approximately double his reach I suddenly stopped and entered a sword stance, the pose differing from Comet Canon only by a closed fist. _He's grinning. But can he tell the difference?_

A wave of power shot out from my slash. Agil stumbled back from the strike. In the opening created by «Downburst» I unleashed a rush of attacks, each slash and stab retaining a sense of awkwardness from their knife based origins.

Idly, I wondered what we must have looked like to the onlookers, a tiny woman of five two going up against a behemoth of a man standing at six seven. Each of his attempts to grab or attack me were either dodged or used to swing around to another point of attack like the tetherballs of my Elementary years.

A set of flipping kicks after another chain bought me away some distance. As I rotated back towards the ground I let my arms splay, the system latching on and registering my position. When my feet were once again under me I let go of the mental pressure, twin strikes lashing out parallel to the ground and scoring two more hits on Agil's form. _Please don't counter, please don't counter!_ A single beat. Spurred on by tingles in my legs, the system danced me forward one final time. The final horizontal strike of «Crosswinds» struck true, the still vibrant line of red going across the axe wielder's stomach glowing brighter. _Yes! Now I just need one more chain and-_ My eyes widened. Facial twitches were easily done but in my excitement I had forgotten the fatal flaw of combining Sword Skills with Martial Arts: the Post Motion from each ability would stack until you stopped moving.

Agil took three steps forward before leaping into the air, axe sliding in his hands for the mother of all hatchings. _God fuck me and my-_ The last thing I saw before I ate dirt was the minute adjustment of his grip, the flat of his weapon obscuring the sky. Cheers erupted around me, Agil's victorious roar breaking through the cries. The celebrations continued on for several moments before I bothered to roll onto my back. _Alright, so. I wasn't_ really _trying to win, honest. I just wanted to have fun. Which I accomplished. So all this irritation? Totally not justified._ "Yup, just keep on lying to yourself. I'm sure that won't cause any problems."

"You okay there, Asasaki? You've been laying down there for a while." Asuka leaned over me, a significantly larger shadow joining her a moment later.

"Just replaying the fight in my mind." _Should have stuck with more basic attacks. Being fancy is how you get punished._

"I'm sure there's better places to do that than on the floor," Agil commented. "Come on, I know a place we can eat. On you of course."

I accepted his hand, flying into the air slightly but managing to stick the landing. "There better be sweets. Not for me though, for Mitsui. I'm not exactly a fan of the stuff."

Agil looked over at the red haired woman. "Now why do I feel like I should know that name?"

I grinned slyly at the woman in question. "She's been getting a bit of fame recently, though I'm sure she'd call it notoriety."

As hyped as they were after our battle, Agil had no problems getting us through the crowd. His confident gait parted the people like the bow of a ship. Those that followed after us were masterfully fielded towards his stall, promises of a secondary currency for repeat customers causing many a interested glint.

After the umpeenth unique phrasing of his guild's line of credit, Asuka crinkled her nose and asked me about it.

"I can answer that," the man in question interjected, sending off the rest of our following with a tact I could never have hoped to achieve. "The guild and I keep recordings of who sells stuff to us and what kind of things those are. If we ever get a rare or decent item in stock, we notify players who we think might be interested in them that we have something that could be useful." The moment I opened my mouth to ask say something, "Kinboshi was the one that suggested it. Apparently in one of the games he used to play there was a guild that did that. It was a lot of work, but they ended up getting a monopoly on all major trade."

"You think you can handle that, Agil?" I crossed my arms and stared up at my fellow foreigner, occasionally glancing at the road in front of me to make sure I didn't crash into anybody.

"I'm pretty sure as things go along and more players actually find out about us we'll have a more difficult time, but," Agil lowered his voice, "I've been talking to The Rat over the past few days. We've been discussing bringing World Market into the fold of her unofficial guild as part of the merchant division."

In English, "She has a guild?"

Agil barked, not bothering to switch over. "Unofficially. Her and just about every other person involved with it demands we refer to it as 'The Information Network' but guild is a lot easier." When we arrived at the restaurant he gestured at the of chairs and tables. "Got any preference for where you want to sit? I prefer the closest to the exit myself."

Not caring much for seating arrangements, especially considering assassinations were impossible, I took Agil's disposition in mind and gestured towards one of the empty spots along the outer edge of the terrace, a sizable wood and stone building with a few smoke chimneys rising into the air on the opposing side. A snicker found its way out of my mouth when Agil rushed to pull out the chairs for Asuka and me.

Whatever the bald axe user was going to say next was interrupted by somebody stepping up to us, the unashamed staring I did allowing me to see the NPC indicator above his head. "Hi, welcome to the Bleating Wolf." The boy handed a clay tablet to each of us with a smile, the slates having the menu inscribed into them. Tapping on them brought up the menu of course but it was a rather large thrill to be reading something physical for once.

"Does that happen often?" Agil asked when the boy left.

"First time it's happened for me without specifically asking for it," I said, eyeing the Tolbanian suspiciously.

"Does the staff not do that with you?" Asuka responded at the same time as me.

The woman met my gaze, raised a brow, then went back to looking over her menu. I had a feeling her perusal was more for something new rather than familiarizing herself with what this place offered.

#So what is she?#

#That's kind of rude, don't you think?# I returned to Agil's message.

#She's an NPC.#

#But also a friend.# I gave Asuka an apologetic smile, recalling the handful of times she'd reprimanded me for not focusing on our conversation. #Please don't make it awkward. I'm still coming to terms with it myself. It's one of those things that's easier to not acknowledge or label.#

#Well if you're alright with it.# Hands no longer busy interfacing with his window, "I guess I'll order when he comes back then. Would be a nice change of pace, having a proper interaction instead of only using the menu."

Asuka suddenly gained a predatory appearance and stared at me, her smile reminding me of a short term supervisor who had a fascination for getting people in trouble. "So then what would you consider Hibiki making us meals?"

"Him either following orders or pursuing his hobby?" I answered. "I'm not quite sure what you're- oh." I straightened at the realization. Provided I wasn't off on my own, it had become habit for Asuka and I to share a snack or meal at some point during the day, the food having been prepared by Hibiki with whatever materials we had. Having never approached the conversation of Asuka and the others being nothing more than constructs of 1's and 0's, it was easy for me to slip into the mindset of truly being a visitor to another world rather than a victim of a madman's cruel design.

"I know there's a difference between what you're used to in your world and what you consider normal in this one, but I'm certain most things can still be done the way you're used to," she directed towards Agil. Partially towards me, in what felt like a gentle scolding, "You don't need to rely on swordsman magic alone, as I'm sure Captain Yamaguchi and Sergeant Hibiki have demonstrated."

"Wait you're-!" Agil quickly composed himself, lowering his voice back down to a conversational, if still very excited, level. "You're the same Mitsui that people were talking about you had to beat those two First Floor NPC's in order to get a quest from?"

My eyes widened slightly at the usage of the term. Asuka had obviously heard the term before, both when she was accidentally giving out quests and earlier today, but I'd never really talked to her about what it meant. I knew one day I'd have to approach Asuka about her status of merely being a program, but this season was not that season.

"My, news certainly travels fast. Yes, I am that same Mitsui." She rose and gave a quick curtsey. "Mitsui, Asuka of the Mitsui Trading Guild, Headquarters location in Tolbana of the Black Iron Kingdom. A pleasure, Mister Agil. I hope that in the future we might become good business partners. But today, we deal in pleasure."

 _And there it is. That sunny smile of hers. I bet if players saw this side of her more often she'd become something of a figurehead in the game. Might have even become a flagship character on future cover art if this whole mess hadn't happened._ I let out a deep sigh, slowly tuning back into the conversation. As our meal ('alcoholic' drinks graciously purchased for us by Agil) wound down, I couldn't but notice the Dragon knights huddled in their own private little sector, those closest to them having scooted their tables away as much as possible. "So what's the story with those guys?" I asked from behind my cup.

"Which ones- oh, those. You don't know?" Agil grunted in remembrance. "Klein mentioned you were a little out of touch with things."

Raised brows were the only response I gave.

"Lind's practices and the way he's been telling the rest of his guild to behave gathered quite a bit of hatred towards them. Among the front liners, they're being ostracized for their readiness towards kill stealing and trying to game the system for any loot they roll for. The surprising thing is: Kibaou's become a lot more mellow than how he used to be. I mean sure, the guy's still as stubborn as ever, but his guild's downright pleasant compared to the DKB and some of the newer members of the ALS actually do business with me so they're not all bad."

 _Terrible people can still be nice to certain people they choose, you know._ "By the way, is a guild called 'Fūmaningun' operating up here?" I asked after a while, curious about their reputation.

"You mean those ninja role players? Yeah, they're something of a novelty. Most of their higher leveled members have already gone up to the eighth floor, but they still have a decent presence here. You don't see them too much in the public eye, but every morning a slightly updated copy of Argo's Guidebook is available, on all the floors they're on. I guess they work during the night or something."

"Hm." I flicked open my inventory. The dark green clothing from Shen I'd since dyed an equally dark blue sat in my inventory, the long outdated armor associated with it placed beneath the set. "It's good to hear they're maintaining a positive presence among the others. I've worked with them before and while they're a little eccentric, their teamwork is on point."

"So says everybody they bail out." Agil gulped down another swig of his drink. "You know, if they didn't require that every member who joins up be wearing their uniform at almost all times they'd probably have a hell of a lot more people in their guild. Most of the newer members are still leveling a good floor or three below us, but it's going to be interesting to see Fūmaningun become a major guild." His free hand moved to tap something open, the man letting out a groan of annoyance at whatever came up. "Sorry, I got to head back. Looks like somebody got mad at Siegfried for being too forceful again. That's the second time this week. I swear I'm going to have a long talk with that kid."

"Have fun with that," I drawled out. "If you ever need somebody to smack some sense into him, feel free to hit me up. I can kill multiple birds in one stone with a training session."

"I'll keep that in mind. If you'll excuse me, ladies." Agil gave a short but flourished bow, his hulking form alone parting the way through the crowd.

"I don't know if I'll ever get over your swordsmen magic," Asuka said enviously.

I shrugged, unsure what prompted that sentiment. "It really is just convenience. We've done without it in the other world, so if we lost the ability to utilize it I wouldn't mind too much. Would suck if everything I was carrying just exploded out though." After a little bit longer, just shortly before noon, I escorted Asuka back to the inn we were staying at located in the south-most district. It was a little more expensive as a result of of its proximity to the entrance and comparative luxurity, but was still within the budget we'd created.

"Make sure you grab everything for me before tonight alright? Including a few bottles from my storage. There's some reports I need to write up and having something to drink would be amazing." The merchant repeated her request, using a few key words as well as adjusting her state of mind to turn the favor into a proper quest. Being a simple run for supplies from the first floor, the rewards were rather minimal. A paltry twenty five experience; less than a fourth of a single monsters we could fight up here on the seventh floor. "If you're lucky and I'm feeling generous I might just share some with you."

"I'll keep that in mind." With that we parted our separate ways. Asuka to run errands with Asahi and one of the other Explorers when they finished their training and myself to the room we shared (ladies only).

I leapt onto the straw filled mattress with a flumph, the material crinkling under my weight. Were my pillow covered in a softer material I would have been nuzzling into it instead of simply clutching it to my chest. _What else do I have to do?_ My breathing leveled out, each respiration lasting who knew how long. _Is there really nothing else?_ Our next excursion around the floor wasn't until sometime tomorrow noon. We'd set aside a few hours before that hard grinding the local monsters to level up if at all possible but other than that we were entirely free. _I guess I'll just head to Tolbana whenever I wake up then. It won't be a problem if I Sprint._ Plan decided, I settled in for a nap, meditating to the din of civilization floating through the shuttered windows.

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It was well past lunch when I woke back up and made my way down the stairs. Asuka had come in at some point apparently, her combat gear from the morning laying neatly on her bed. The pangs of hunger weren't really bothering me at the moment and considering that I was going to pick up some snacks in Tolbana I felt no need to eat something now. It just as I reached for the door that Issin called my name.

"Asasaki, come here real quick, we've got a question for ya."

I moved over to the table Klein and Issin had commandeered for themselves, my instinctive fears of a heavy topic dissipating at their mostly jovial looks. "What's up?"

Klein coughed into a fist, putting on a business-like appearance. "Who is Isuke and should we be concerned about his obsession towards you?"

"We checked out the rumors of a new player blacksmith on the floor. When he realized we were in Fūrinkazan he refused to help us, not unless we brought you along." Issin explained.

"Ehh." I tucked a length of hair behind my ear. _Damn. Forgot to clip that down._ "I don't know if I'd call it obsession so much as acceptance. The man desires to work with all things 'Ninja'. I was only able to get a by with him because Shen was speaking for me-"

"Wait, you know Shen?" Issin asked, to which I responded affirmatively. "The leader of Fūmaningun?" Another yes. The two took a moment to process that.

"So what did Isuke say he wanted with me, if anything?"

Klein recovered first, dispelling his thoughts with a shake of his head. "He said something about wanting to thank you in person for 'that special thing' you did for him."

"Creep," Issin muttered under his breath.

"Oh, that?" I gave in to the feral grin. Entertaining Isuke's questions was always a little concerning and part of me couldn't help but feel more than a little wary with some of his mannerisms, but fears aside he'd never done anything physical and the results he gave were more than worth the discomfort. "Yeah, whatever he's got in store for me ought to be a big one. He has odd tastes, but doing those favors is always worth it." The worried looks they gave each other was lost on me, but I'd long since learned to tune their nonverbal communications out.

"Alright, we're going with you," Issin declared.

"Um?"

"This guy seems like a major weirdo," he continued. "We're going to go with you to make sure nothing strange's going on."

"You two do remember I'm older than you, right?"

"'Things can seem mightily different from an outsider's perspective' is what you told us once," Klein responded.

"And from our perspective, things seems awfully wrong," his partner in crime added.

"So just do us all a favor and say yes," they proclaimed in unison.

I shook my head in disbelief. "Look, I'm sure you guys are just blowing this all out of proportion, but if this is what you need to feel better, by all means." I chuckled. "Maybe I can get Isuke to give you guys a discount or something." _Nah. Knowing him, he might jack up their prices just because they're 'samurai'._

Isuke, I'd find out, had arrived on this floor the day before we'd arrived. On top of taking a break from the training he'd subjecting himself to, he'd also gotten the highest level equipment for smithing. Where he got the money I couldn't say for certain, but I had a sneaking suspicion that Fūmaningun had donated a fair bit towards their client. "How is he, anyway? I'd message him if I had him added, but."

"You don't have him added?" Insert query from unrequited love interest.

"Nope," I popped. "Never really had a reason to. If I ever needed his services I'd drop by his place and see what we could hash out. If he wasn't there, I'd either come back another day or find somebody else to do the work for me. It's worked out so far, even if he always got mad at me for 'letting someone else sully his goods'."

"The more you talk about this guy the less I like him," Klein groused. "You sure you're okay associating with this guy? You're not being forced into this, are you?"

"Of course not." A flash of color caught my attention, the brief glimpse I was able to get of the outfit reminding me of Ashley's unique designs. "Look guys, I'm really appreciative of this concern and all, but I'm a grown adult! I can handle myself." _And others. Especially others._ Following a quick stop to ask a player merchant for directions (Klein and Issin having gotten lost amongst all the stalls) we arrived at Isuke's in the northwest, the man obviously but quietly muttering to himself while he worked a portable forge. The man being serviced seemed to be harboring reservations of his own but was more than able to keep them private.

"Alright. Your sword's done." He said dully. The moment he caught sight of me the rest of the transaction went by with the traditional service professionalism you'd expect, and when the man left, "AsasakI! There's my favorite woman." I returned his embrace, the man's weak but enthused patting reminding me of some of my uncles when they got drunk. "And what can I do for you today?"

"Equipment repairs for one, and then I'm sure my companions might want some work done as well." I pulled out both «Barbed Sabre» and «Sillicatite Dao», handing them over for inspection. "Oh, and can you take a look at the item requirements for their next upgrades? I'm pretty sure I have what's needed for at least a few things." As I spoke I began handing over the rest of my current equipment. Isuke wasn't able to perform armor upgrades, not for light metal, but repairs was something easily taken care of.

"Seems like the Barbed Sabre can be upgraded with materials from this floor. For the next attempt I'll need twenty Rosodian Thorns, ten Greenwing Quills, and then at least level twenty five materials for whatever affinity you want to enhance. You'll have an easier time getting those from the eighth floor." The flat haired noiret studied the next window before speaking. "As for the Sillicatite Dao, you're going to need ingots made from level twenty and up weapons. That's a trip to the northwest, unfortunately. All the monsters here only drop armor pieces or raw materials, unless you go to the caves where the monsters there are rock and metal based. Do yourself a favor and tag along with a blacksmith if they're hunting for levels and materials; The Information Network recently confirmed that a blacksmith in a party greatly increases the material drops related to their skills. "

"Great," I mumbled. "There went my plans for the evening." When my two boys stepped forward to inquire about conducting business, Isuke made it no secret that he was only willing because I was part of their guild. Once the transaction was nearly completed, I spoke up. "Mitsui wants me to grab some stuff for her before dinner. I'm going to go head out to that village before dropping in at Tolbana."

"Okay. Be careful, alright?" Issin nodded fervently beside Klein. "This is still a new floor, not all monsters have been discovered yet."

"Make sure you stay potted up on those preventatives, Miss Asasaki," Isuke added. "The group I traveled with to and from Stonemire Village had to deal with a few spore based monsters. We ended up having to wait out the status effects once we reached the village. Oh, by the way. I'm giving you a long term IOU. As I am right now I can't offer you anything near worth compensation, but once I finish my training I'll give you the best blade you'll ever see."

 _Somehow I don't doubt that._ "Just let me know when you're ready then. See you guys."

* * *

 _This chapter has been updated on March 26, 2019_


	33. Perpetuality

_Changed the scene in the arena to better reflect the timeline. Added a scene with Dale and expanded the scene with Iseyer slightly. Moved the Ancient Laboratory exploration and Underground Cavern scene to next chapter for ease of reading/digestion._

* * *

" **...?"**

" **I don't like thinking about that sort of thing. Obviously everything has an expiration date, but if I pay attention to that I get all mopey and depressed. It's a lot easier for me to just take every day one by one and try to make the most of it."**

" **..."**

" **Yeah! Like a clock. Perpetually ticking until something stops it. Wait, you don't normally suggest something unless you're trying to lead me somewhere. Let's just get straight to the point."**

My finger tapped to a silent beat, each pulse a whispering reminder of the rules of combat. Never become overconfident. A fight is never over until all enemies are contained. Relax only when at a designated safe zone. Clear your designated area before assisting another.

Most of those weren't applicable for my current situation, but the words served well to maintain my state of mind.

It hadn't truly registered the day before, but fighting against another player was perhaps the most efficient way to spend time. Here in the colosseum you would gain a large portion of experience the first time you fought against somebody, and then a smaller amount for each fight after that. It was a good analogy for the practical, unquantifiable experience that came from any sort of clash. You could refine your major points, learn what your weaknesses were, and along the way get rid of any pent up stress.

"Okay, I'm ready!"

The duel request I had ready was sent off, my opponent taking a moment to set the rules. Ten minutes, first to 50% loses. No restoratives or consumables. Winner received 1,000 cor. When the countdown timer popped up I pulled my weapon out, a long dagger just a few inches shy of being called a sword. Long and fairly wide with a deep fuller I vaguely remembered as causing profuse bleeding, the dark purple and black blade was of Fallen Elf make and it carried a side effect of causing stabs to deal an additional 5% damage of Bleed

Without the «Dagger» skill and a meager Strength stat I was lucky to deal over two hundred damage with a critical, but with how often I could punch holes into somebody's opening the effect occurred fairly often.

Twenty seconds. As with my three fights before, I began stalking towards my target. As before, they turtled into a defensive stance, falling back onto instincts rather than trying to be proactive and break through my assault. _Sorry, kid. You already lost._

Five seconds. Had I access to it, this far away it was better for me to Sprint in rather than use Reaver.

Three seconds. I took a breath. The world moved.

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Yet another fight ended. After my hour of refamiliarizing myself with knife play, a handful of other Swordsmen had taken it upon themselves to mimic my explosive style. None of them could hope to achieve my level flexibility on my approaches, but I would freely admit that every time a forced critical, grapple, or otherwise unconventional attack landed a small spurt of pride blossomed.

"Enjoying yourself, Lady Asasaki?"

"Mm. It's nice being able to let loose without much worry. Plus, even if they aren't much better than the monsters, at least they put up some resistance." Legs clad in light green armor decorated with thin waves of black streaks took post at the corner of my vision. "How's the new armor treating you?"

Forged from the smelted ingots of the equipment I'd originally picked up from the sixth floor, the Jet Breeze equipment melded together the agility values of the Ardent Breeze gear with the inherent defensive capabilities (alongside some undecipherable effects) of Tolbanian metal. Minus the helmet crest and the pauldron extensions, Yamaguchi was rather reminiscent of the evil knights residing in a world besieged by twilight.

"Lighter than my previous set. Truthfully, I find myself missing it. Ferghus promised me that this suit is much stronger though."

I nodded. "I used to run around in the gear some of those ingots came from." On a whim I winked and formed a V with my fingers opening towards my other eye. _Gotta admit, it's a little cringy but 10 points for the cute factor._

"I shall endeavor to defend my torso more than usual then."

I let out a short laugh. _Dick!_ "A shame we couldn't upgrade your weapon though."

"I have very specific requirements for my personal weapons," he responded. "Mayhaps by the end of the month I will have acquired enough materials for the smiths to forge me something new."

"I hear you on that. It always takes me a week or so to find all the items I need for somebody to adjust my weapons to my preferences. This one right here," I flipped the dagger once, catching it by the handle, "is light enough that I don't need to find any Quickness materials and instead can focus on finding Sharpness and Accuracy."

"You believe in your own speed that much?"

"Pssh." I waved the dagger around dismissively. Perhaps a poor habit to have allowed, but it wasn't as if a stray hit would end me. "Captain, have you _seen_ how fast I move?" The sound of his faceplate being pulled down resounded, Yamaguchi clinking away towards the center of the arena. In his wake a lone window stared at me.

#Captain Yamaguchi of Tolbana wishes to test his skills against yours. Do you accept? Y/N#

I sat frozen in that position for a few moments. When the realization that Mr. Mountain of Death himself was asking for a spar hit I quietly hit accept, sirens of panicked screams blaring in my mind.

His presence as commanding as ever, Yamaguchi stood in the center, blade and shield resting in the ground.

"So how we doing this, Old Man?" I called out. _He likes wide attacks. He's more than capable of changing momentum on a dime. Stay close, watch every limb. Damn, that armor really hides his body well._

"Battle until one side yields. No killing blows."

"But that's like half my repertoire!"

"Then as your youth are so fond of saying, get good." Yamaguchi waved one of our observers over, leaning over slightly to whisper something. The teen nodded and jogged off to the side, seeming a little jittery. "This one will start our match. Unlike the duels mandated by your magic, no repositioning shall be allowed until we start."

"Sounds good to me." I gave my dagger another flip and entered a ready position. Slouched over slightly and with my weapon in a reverse grip, ignoring my Valkyrie-Atlantean style armor I was the very picture of a stereotypical rogue.

"Have you seen that NPC before? He doesn't look like he's from around here."

"Yeah, that's Captain Yamaguchi. I saw him yesterday. You know they say he's from Tolbana, back on the First Floor."

"What? An NPC from the First Floor is here on the Seventh?"

"Crazy, isn't it?"

 _If only you knew._

"Combatant Two, are you ready?"

I jumped slightly and voiced my affirmative. When both the audial and visual signal was given, I shot forward, my body at a steep angle to the ground. Vastly slower than me, Yamaguchi jogged forward and met my charge shield first, sword already pulled in for a strike.

The edge of his shield jabbed forward. Easily side stepped. The follow up stab danced under and guided away with my blade, a wide sweeping slash treated like a bar in pole vaulting.

I surged in, eyes falsely focused on his left pit. I stepped to his right and brought my dagger to bear, tip aimed just underneath his rib cage. The two handed thrust landed only in air, Yamaguchi having reacted fast enough to step away. His side kick came out faster than I expected, sending me stumbling back several steps.

 _Got it. More grappling strikes than stand alone._ I tossed my dagger back and forth between my hands a few times as I slowly approached, taking in his stance. Not once during a duel had I ever seen the man lead sword first. Against monsters where he didn't need to care about defense, sure, but against people who could think he prioritised the defensive-disruptive offense nature of the shield.

The moment I got within range the two of us blurred. Over and over I tried to get within range as I parried and evaded each strike, but each time I got in reach a knee or pommel strike would force me to break away. _Fine. I guess I'll just have to trade more than percents to do this._

A failed approach and a shield bash later, my dagger had sunk into Yamaguchi four times before I was forced to retreat, only one of them failing to ring out the oh so sweet sound of a critical. _Okay. Just ten thousand more of those and I might have a chance._

 _But then again…_ This far away Yamaguchi was more than fond of his stabs turned into a wrist rolled slash. The delay between the actions was insignificant to the point of nonexistence, but a few gambles revealed that he had to wind up to correct if he ended up moving the wrong way.

 _Old geezer's got too many years to let me do this more than once._ Another tenth of my hp was shaved away trying to get the situation to happen again, Yamaguchi ignorant of my plans amongst my different engages. _Stab_ _dodge left. Side step opposite side._ Before he could pull back I moved in with a full body Sprint, «Stygian Curse» punching through his elbow. A half moon pivot and repositioned hand later, Yamaguchi slammed onto the dirt covered floor, armor and all. I followed after him with a well practiced aeriola and straddled his chest. Punches, palm thrusts, elbows, and pommel strikes rained upon his head with impunity, the slightest movement I noticed in his arms sending me twitching forward into a somersault.

Yamaguchi rolled onto his feet, blade lashing out in a wide arc in anticipation of a follow up. "Very good. I hope you know that won't work again."

"What do you take me for, an amateur?"

60%. I'd become no closer to breaking through his defences. _Guess it's time to be a little more aggressive._ I dropped into a crouch, flat of my blade deflecting his sword away. The slightest tilt forward. Three thin streaks of red blossomed on Yamaguchi's thigh. Dirt shot up with every step. Another two slashes. His three part elbow-pommel-diagonal slash was charged under, my dagger finding purchase in his side.

Barely a thought later and I found myself standing upon his right pauldron, a reverse spin slamming a heel kick into the back of his head. Moving purely on instinct, I found myself pilfering his absurdly long greatsword, diving for my discarded dagger after throwing his blade as far as possible. "Just like one of those wasps in the forest, ain't I, Yamaguchi?"

"Smaller, but yes." The man entered into a simple punching stance, one that seemed grounded in nothing more than pure basics. Basics could still be scary though.

I closed the distance between us, pulsing to an ever changing beat. Swordless, Yamaguchi was more than content to wait for me to approach, his responses easily overwhelmed by my flurry of strikes essentially ricocheting from his limbs. Each exchange I would end up retreating from a kick or knee, leaving the insides of his arm and chest a cutting board of red.

On my fourth retreat Yamaguchi chased after me, edge of his shield catching me in the chest just before I landed. My vision momentarily went black, falsified blue sky visible for only a moment before the tingle of the system took over and forced an ukemi. "Nice shot-" I ducked underneath another swipe, giving one of my own to his stomach. Another knee was leapt back from.

I grabbed onto his right cross with my left hand, his arm dipping slightly as I swung underneath and planted a sidekick onto his abdomen. A quick drop and roll later and we were back how we started, each starting to approach the Yellow.

With a visible flare of his nostrils, "You talk far too much during battle, Lady Asasaki." The man dropped his guard and reached into one of his pouches, chugging down a potion.

"Yeah, well, it's how I keep people off balance." I flourished my weapon and sheathed it, my lip involuntarily twitching into a smirk at the familiar motion. Amidst the cheers and awe inspired gaping I retrieved his sword, grunting as I hefted it into my arms. _Seriously, this thing is damn near one and a half of my height_. Making sure it wasn't dragging along the ground I offered it back to the man, Yamaguchi offering an appreciative (and dare I say impressed) nod. "Good fight, Cap." I patted his forearm, sporting a grin at both the rush of adrenaline and rewards from the impromptu quest. When the surrounding players began approaching us, I directed all of them towards the Tolbanian, offering whatever excuse came to mind to get the attention off me.

"Magnificent fight, Miss Asasaki!"

"Thanks. Been ages since I got to play around with a dagger." I grinned at Sir Fists-a-lot. To the elder of the cestus wielding man, "How's it going, Gramps?"

"Miss Asasaki, please, I'm not that old."

"Uh, white hair? A little wispy? Plus you got that whole air about you." I gestured at Heathcliff with my hands. "Really, if Nervegear was better at replicating our physical bodies I'd bet a good amount of cor you'd have wrinkles."

"She has you there, Captain." Hara-something turned to look at the second coming of Yamaguchi. "Ever since I met you your hair was like that. Even with the gear you had that first day I don't think you could have had enough money for a dye."

"Genetics do play a factor in appearance, Haregi," he answered a little tiredly.

 _I guess he has the same issue about his age as I do with people being so respectful towards me. Stupid cultures._ "So what are you two- err, three, doing here?" Distracted by the two as I was, I failed to notice their quiet companion, a woman dressed in rather smart navy blue clothing. Or at least as smart as the current fashion available to us to could get. She looked more like some sort of medieval enforcer group backed by the major religion of the area.

"Argo asked us to-"

"Ahem." Said female interrupted rather loudly, fixing the brash cestus user with a glare.

"We need to power level rather quickly," Heathcliff explained, an amiable smile on his face. "We're too low leveled to grind on monsters, but here in this arena we're free to fight as much as possible, our only risk being cor for repairs and potions to duel quicker."

I nodded. "Well, if a certain someone's asked you to do something for her, far be it from me to pry. I'm sure if I grease her fingers a little she'll tell me." I took a step forward and extended a hand. "I don't think we ever properly met by the way. I'm Asasaki. I was there on the third floor when Teotihuacan appeared."

"Minerva," She answered simply, reciprocating my greeting.

"I'll leave you three to your training then. Oh! You get a decent chunk of experience the first time you duel somebody new. It resets each day so if you keep coming across the same people it might get you an advantage. Good luck!" I waved goodbye to the trio as I took a few steps backward, hands clasped behind my back when I spun forward. _I could do with a meal._

Awass Town hadn't changed one bit in the past two days. With the eighth floor the new frontier, it'd gotten a little busier, but I never felt like a fish in a can. Concerning as it was, I even saw a few teenagers running about, more than once being invited to join in on the ball game they were playing.

A tall figure moving through the crowd caught my attention, the twisted cloth of a bandanna confirming my suspicion. I waved a sauce flecked hand and called out Dale's name, the man searching around and giving a greeting of his own when he spotted me.

"How's your day been going, Asasaki?"

"Pretty good," I answered, sucking some of the slightly spicy marinade of my fingers. _Bless Kayaba for having the foresight to make flavors in this world so varied._ "Just got done with some training in the arena."

Sitting down on the bench beside me, "You win all your fights?"

"All but one, though that one was technically a draw if we're even counting it. It was Yamaguchi, by the way. He strolled in while I was taking a break and challenged me. I'm pretty sure I won but since he ended it without saying anything I don't think I can mark it."

"Yeah, the Captain does tend to do that." The two hander laughed softly. "You know, I really appreciated your help the other day in the kitchen. I'm actually planning a bit of a party tonight; would you mind helping me out again?"

"Of course." I wrapped my food up with the cloth the stall had provided and deposited it in my inventory. "Still hate that I can't do more than prep stuff. Or that cooking is nothing more than pressing some buttons."

"It might have been nice if that were possible, but I don't think we'll get any sort of game like that until a couple years down the line. If Full Dive games even get continued after this."

"I'm sure they will. It might take a couple years, but the militaries will love having this sort of thing. Eventually that'll trickle back into the civilian sector and enter the world of commercialism."

Only able to rent out inns, Dale and I had to use a communal kitchen. It wasn't as furnished as the kitchen I'd watched Hibiki work in back on the third floor, but it was more than adequate for our uses. Claiming two workstations as our own, the two of us quickly got set to work on preparing all of the ingredients.

"You know, this really is a lot of stuff. What's the occasion?"

Dale smiled. "I'm getting close to a milestone for cooking. Everything here will be enough to push me over the edge and then I can unlock something special."

"Something special can mean a lot of things." A head of what seemed to be cabbage was quickly quartered and sliced down into strips, the leftover base tossed into the air and slashed through, turning it into particles of data. "For me that would mean a tray of baklava."

"Baklaba?"

"Baklava," I corrected. "Its a desert with multiple layers of bread, almost like paper thin wafers, that has chopped nuts sandwiched between each section. Honey gets drizzled over it and let to soak in with another sprinkling of nuts on top of that. Sometimes it's a little too sweet, but since I don't often have it I'm willing to put up with the taste."

"You don't like sweets much, do you?"

"Not really." Three carrots were skinned and diagonally cut. Perhaps a bit unnecessary, but practicing whatever skills I could for the eventual return to reality would only help me on the road to recovery. "Really I think it's the sugar or overly processed sugars, syrups and what have you that I don't like. Stuff I make on my own is usually fine." I set my knife down and leaned on my hands. "Then again, I could just be over thinking it." I smirked. "Wouldn't be the first time I claimed I didn't do something and then later found out something I loved had some of it. Meat dishes especially. Honestly thought I would never be able to do horse meat but then Satoru," I swallowed and forced myself to continue, "brought me to a sushi place a couple times that served it. Lo' and behold, I ended up loving the stuff."

It almost felt like a thick blanket draped over me. Colors, sounds, thoughts. All of it became muffled. I raised my head and looked around the kitchen. Ingredients half prepared covered the counters. Dishes, complete and in the process of being cooked lay scattered about.

Once, I would have entered in here to make something for a celebration. Now, I entered because of dates I could never forget. Dishes and meals would spring forth from my hands only for their recipients to never touch them.

 _I hate this._

"Sorry Dale. I uh," I untied my apron and held it out for him. "I think I need to step away for a while."

"Don't worry about it. Just let us know where you end up staying, okay?"

"Yeah." I took in a slow breath, fighting to keep the tears and shaking contained. "I'll message Klein."

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 _Why do I always find myself here?_

The dirt in the amphitheatre was almost like the sand on a beach. Given time, marks left behind would fade away, only those who had made them away that anything had happened. Once, so very long ago, plays must have occurred here every week. Bards singing tales from far beyond, actors bringing stories of ages long past back to life. The tears had since stopped, and the questions that had come had left frustrated understanding in their wake.

My pains and anguish were never properly dealt with, and what Haru stated what felt like so long ago held true. In this world where we had to put our lives on the line to escape, I would never be able to fix myself. Mend or contain myself sure, but to actually take time and play nice with every single devil inside of me?

I turned my gaze skyward. Blues and whites were safe. I held no connotations about anything with those. Not like empty benches and stairs. For a time I got lost in my breathing. Perhaps I was emotionally spent. It wouldn't be the first time I'd dealt with this state of apathy.

Footsteps approaching me were ignored. Red cloth bobbed through my vision and settled beside me.

More time passed. Klein and I lay down in silence, the quiet only broken by my soft question for permission to hold his hand.

Eventually I ended up falling asleep, a heartbeatless chest underneath my head and fingers stroking my hair.

When I woke up the sun had gone from its zenith to somewhere three notches southwest. Klein was nowhere to be found but he had left a bundled up blanket under my head and a message.

#The party's going to start at 6 at our inn. You should come by. Everybody's going to be there.#

# ( ´ ▽ ` ) #

Part of me felt hurt he hadn't stayed, but these days we were all busy. As much as Klein claimed he and the others would be taking it easy, they still trained as if we were properly on the front lines. I sat up and took a deep breath. "Alright, that's enough of that." I patted my cheeks twice and took another breath. Hands raised slightly above my head, I turned them into fists and brought them in, a resolute expression on my face. "There's a party tonight and those lil' junebugs need somebody to teach them how to do it right."

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I downed the rest of my mug, growing the small pyramid before me by another container. At the other end of the table Issin and Dale whooped their support. Across from me, Rhaagaar slammed his mug down a bit harshly, adding to his collection arranged in a vague circle. "Give it up, club. You aren't beating me in this."

"This Rhaagaar think Swordsman Asasaki too cocky!" The goblin sneered at me, his companions mimicking the hyping jeers Fūrinkazan often did whenever they competed against each other. "This Rhaagaar can drink any Swordsman under table!"

I cackled. Thanks to the more than grateful elves, the goblins had been introduced to the world of booze, eagerly taking up the flavored drinks in place of overly sweet juices and bland, tasteless water. "You keep saying that, but give it another ten drinks. We'll see how you start feeling then."

As we'd learned early on, digestive byproducts didn't occur in this world. If you ate or drank yourself past your limit, sickness and discomfort would overtake you rather than coming back up. In that state, the usual solution was either curling up into a ball and bemoaning your mistake or laying your head down and vowing to never do it again. By the time Rhaagaar reached that state my tower had reached four levels high, Klein and Asuka expressing a mixture of awe and concern. My raucous laughter died down to mere chuckles, the latter pouring me a small amount from her bottle at my request.

"What brought this on, Asasaski? I don't think I've ever seen you drink this much."

I ignored Klein's worried glance. "I got told there was a party tonight and decided that I might as well show everybody how to actually do it." I swirled the wine around a little and sipped at it. Just a bit sweet and so very rich on the way down. Must have been one of the top shelf bottles I needed a chair to reach. "Don't worry, this won't be a regular thing. I don't mind mead much, but I'm a much bigger fan of whiskey or rum. I could happily sit on those the whole evening."

"Oh, and here you were getting on my case for drinking too much."

"Hey." I pointed a finger at him. Grinning, "I know my limits and what I like. Plus, don't forget you're still six years younger than me. You're basically a kid and I have to be the responsible adult and make sure you don't develop bad habits."

The festivities continued on for another hour before it started winding down. Klein and Issin ended up challenging me to a drinking match but both failed. Right on time, truthfully. One more mug I would have had to tap out.

 _It's nice, being able to wind down like this._

"It is, isn't it?"

I blinked and stared at my leader. _Did I-? Whoops._

"Especially with everybody together like this. Between the quests we run with the Ol'dekhaan, your quests with the Elves, and everybody's personal business, it's not often we get just enjoy ourselves."

"I'm sorry, Klein."

"Don't mention it."

"What?" I laughed. "I was talking about that from earlier, you ass." I whapped the back of my hand on his arm. "I'm talking about how I'm always off on my own."

He chortled. "And again, don't mention it. You're our little ninja. You running about doing stuff we have no clue about is what you do. And at least now you're actually letting us know about where you're going."

"Yeah." Eventually some of the staff began wandering about to collect the dishes. I offered them a quick apology about my pyramid of containers and tried to help them out, easily dissuaded by numerous variations of 'it's our job, don't worry about it'. After yet another failure to lend my aid, I returned to Klein's side and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm gonna go for a walk. Between you and me," I looked around mischievously before leaning in to whisper, "I was really close to having to tap out when Issin called it."

The brunet broke out in laughter and waved me off, a wide grin on his face. "Just don't stay out too late, alright? We're going to be hitting up a dungeon that just got discovered and we're going to need our Evasion Tank on her A game."

Compared to the rowdiness of the tavern, the peace and quiet of the town was incredibly jarring. Gravel crunching under my steps, the food coma I was nursing beckoned me to return to the inn and curl up in my bed, straw filled as it was.

"Lady Asasaki."

God how I hated that honorific. "Sup?" I paused and turned to face Iseyer, the elf lacking any of the armor he usually sported.

"Might I accompany you on your walk? There are things I wish to speak about."

I let out a slow breath of air at the marker that appeared over his head. _God fucking dammit._ "Sure. Company's always nice." With the sun long gone, the majority of businesses had closed up for the day. Only the major services along the main roads were still open alongside the other eateries. "It sure is nice tonight. Not too cold, a gentle wind." I smiled softly. "Almost makes me want to go camping."

"We both know these woods are far too dangerous to do that, Lady Asasaki."

I chuckled. "Well, that's why we make a lovely thing called Watches."

Iseyer shared in my laughter, placing a hand on my shoulder and steering me towards the western gate. After a bit, "Perhaps it might be for the best if you put on your equipment, Lady Asasaki."

Reluctant as I was, I did as requested, shivering when the my helmet materialized. The fang like protrusions running along my jawbone never failed to incite that response if I didn't warm it up first. "You know I'll have to message Klein if we're going to be out long, right?"

"We should be back before then." I purposely made no comment on his soft 'I hope'. "As you know, yesterday I sent Alduin and Heivaar as well as the other men under my command to send word to the elven settlements on this floor. They returned earlier today and what I have received is most concerning."

"Iseyer, concerning can range from 'people are being kidnapped and used for experimentation' to 'everybody is dead and we have yet to find the remains. Lay it on me."

"The Spirit Trees here have been destroyed. The Dark and Forest Elves have banded together in an attempt to stop the Fallen Elves from utilizing the magic spells somewhere in the underground caves for their own devices."

 _Oh, how lovely. Charging a fortified, enemy encampment. I'm sure that will be filled with puppies and baby seals. Hey, me? Where's my golf club?_ "Give me a minute. Processing some stuff." I slunk off to an out of the way alley, sliding to the ground. When the sheathed Barbed Sabre caused me some issues, I untied it and placed it between my legs, letting it rest on my shoulder as I leaned on my knees.

The significantly taller man (and wasn't everybody just so lucky to be taller than me) took post at the entrance. "If you don't wish to assist, I understand. Violence is never welcome by the sane. Even if you are more experienced than the others, as a Swordsman you have no obligation to lend us your aide."

"War is my trade, Iseyer. It's my trade as much as business is Mitsui's. I hate it, but fighting is what I know." I shut my eyes and began regulating my breathing. "This was supposed to be my vacation," I mumbled. "I was supposed to enjoy myself, take time off, see the sights, get drunk off my ass and apologize to whoever was putting me up for whatever messes I'd caused." _But nope. Instead I had to get stuck in this hell hole of life and death. Had to go and rope myself in with a war._ I took a short breath and exhaled long and hard, pushing the memory of my lung capacity to the limit. "Alright," I said tiredly. "So what's the plan?"

"The only entrance to the underground tunnels are in Stonemire Village,"

"All the way nestled in the northwest part of the floor, past a dense thicket of woods and craggled hills. Yeah, I went there two days ago." I clicked my tongue. "So what, get in, roll some heads, get out?"

"That would be the general idea, yes."

"No scouting done?" I pressed. When Iseyer answered in the negative (even if his reasoning regarding the lack of time was sound) I scoffed once more. "So walking into unexplored, hostile territory with two rival clans working together against a common enemy. Why yes, I'm sure this will go just well. No one will have any arguments and at the end of the day we will be frolicking in a field of sunshine, daisies, and unicorns." I rolled onto my feet, resecuring my sword to my belt. "Sorry about that. I like verbalizing my irritations where I can. Figuratively expels all the negativity. I'm sure we can make this work."

"If it's any consolation, Lady Asasaki, all our comrades in this region have kept their skills sharpened. Their teachings to the native humans have seen fit to that."

"Well that explains why the fighting styles of the natives seemed so familiar." I sighed and joined him at the edge of the street. "So that's it then. Get in. Get out. Hope we get back home before morning."

Iseyer hummed in response and led us out into the woods. The rest of our trip went by in silence, the monotony of walking broken only by the arrival of Iseyer's companions from the third floor. Wordlessly they held out his updated armor for him to put on, a fancier version of their own gear. The simple pieces of metal that once covered only the essentials was now layered, a thick looking yet freely moving fabric acting as the base. The moment he slipped everything on (pausing to tie on the leg guards) his every movement became significantly more silent. If he wasn't in my field of view (the others forming up on either side of me) I might have entirely forgotten about his presence.

"Lady Asasaki."

I twitched at Alduin's soft voice. _One, stop calling me that. Two, can't you guys make_ some _noise? Three, I'm not a damsel in- wait, back up, what was that about my actions?_

"Your name is of some renown amongst our people. Should you wish it, we, Dark Elves included, would be more than willing to follow your command."

"How many people do we have?" The peat and other detritus under my feet rustled with every step. The chirping of insects croaked through the air, their creators unseen. Though no wind blew in these woods, the warmth from the day still lingered underneath the canopy, and any chill that did occur was quickly warded off by our walking.

"Not including ourselves, twenty four strong, all volunteers from this floor."

"Only four teams, huh? " A puff of air was expelled through my nose. "What happened to the other men?" I grimaced. "Don't tell me-"

"The others are fine," Alduin answered. "They're escorting those unable to fight to a secure location. Tomorrow when we meet, we'll be discussing what to do in regards to their relocation, if they decide to travel at all."

I sighed in relief. "Start breaking things down for me then. Armor, weapons, who's worked with who. The other Swordsmen might be able to get away with 'group up and hit it 'til it dies' but I refuse to do something so utterly insane only superior numbers could handle it."

From the Forest Elves, we had four shield and sword users (one of which utilized a curved blade over a straight edge), two one handed axe users, three spear users, and for some odd reason one of the elves was hefting a maul around. From the Dark Elves, five shield users with varied bludgeoning and crushing weaponry, two dagger users, and three one handed sword users.

When they'd assembled before me at the entrance in the hillside I immediately knew asking them to work together was worthless idea. The twelve elves each kept a clear distinction between each other, only their shared hatred of the Fallen Elves binding them together.

Uncovered stone pressing against my back, I opened my eyes and looked over our gathering. "I don't know if there's anything I could say that you yourselves haven't said already. We might not all like each other, but I think we can all agree that there's a mutual dislike resting inside this cavern." _I should message Klein._ "We get in hard. We kill them harder. And then when we get out, we party even harder." I flicked open my friend system, sending off a simple message regarding my activities. "Don't let your rage blind you though. This is going to be their turf, so we'll have to be careful." I picked up my helmet from the stone beside me and slotted it on. "Don't let your brothers deaths be in vain." A walking fish, Iseyer had once described me. A bipedal fish that could simultaneously be both an angel and a demon. A dichotomy that only existed depending on which side I was on. If he had ever met one, I'd no doubts he would have meant shark.

* * *

 _This chapter has been updated on March 26, 2019._


	34. Interlude 3

_You know, I completely forgot that it was about time for an Interlude entry (that being every 100k words or so). It was actually really nice to go back and take a look at the timeline I have and realize what sort of shenanigans both Asasaki and the other characters get into off screen._

 _p.s. Remember how back in chapter 29 (Inversion) I mentioned 'for some reason, while I was writing this I thought I was actually on the eighth floor instead of the seventh'? Yeah, turns out that's actually where I'm supposed to be right now. I'm going to take a month break or so to try and fix the mistakes, though it honestly might take two. It shouldn't take too much effort, just a bunch of adjustments regarding setting and dialogue, but just in case._

 _Please forgive me._

* * *

 _ **People tell me that it's better for me to forget. But I don't want to forget. If I forget, nobody else will ever remember them. Maybe it's wrong, maybe it's stupid, but the memories of what's happened are what keep me going forward; to be better than my past. I can't forget.**_

[5th Floor, Karluin Player Markets. January 3rd, 2022; Mid-morning]

Directed by what was perhaps an overly cheerful player, I found myself at a simple stall at the far edge of the player markets, its portable tools and equipment currently being organized by its sole occupant. _Brunette, slightly taller than me, sleeveless pink shirt with a white skirt covered by a black apron. Yup, this is my mark._ "Isn't it kind of late to be setting up?" I asked when she stood.

"It's not that late," she responded, moving to her portable dirge and fiddling with something. "Besides, there's a small rush from the evening and early morning players that I get to enjoy in about an hour since most of the other smiths are out on supply runs." The brunette turned around to face me, the last of her adjustments compete. "How can I help you?"

"You're Lisbeth, right? I've got a delivery from Asuna."

The smith froze, her mouth frozen in a stillborn word. "So," her smile turned a little cold, the expression belonging to somebody still new to customer service and unable to call a supervisor. "You're the reason why I had to purchase supplies last night?"

 _Apologies. Things got a little hectic and I only just got some free time._ "A for effort, but your eyes need to be a little less tight."

Lisbeth blinked. "What?"

 _Crap, did I mix that up?_ "Some stuff came up that needed my attention."

"No, before that."

I shifted my weight onto my left foot and raised a brow. _You heard nothing._ "That I've got a delivery from Asuna?"

She huffed. "Alright, be that way." Without further complaint, the smith opened up the trade, accepting my remark on how I didn't need payment as I was merely completing a favor. Transaction completed, she moved something around in her menus as she spoke. "You do owe me, though. I spent a good amount of cor panic replacing my stock. You may not want payment because you're doing this for Asuna, but it's your fault I was inconvenienced."

I crossed my arms, fighting to keep the penance from my face. _I really wish I could refute that._ "Fine. Next time I head into town to sell stuff, I'll let you take your pick, sound fair?"

"You have to collect some specific stuff for me as well," she added. "Don't worry, it won't be anything extremely rare. Just some basic materials and equipment from certain floors that I'll need for enhancements." Lisbeth sent over a Friend Request, her satisfied smile briefly becoming worried. "Asasaki, huh? Aren't you the one they call the 'Demon Nin'?"

"I've had a handful of titles assigned to me," I deflected, still a bit irritated by the moniker. "Basically one every month." Under my breath, "Now that I mention it I'm kind of excited to hear what my next one's going to be."

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[2nd Floor, Urubus Player Buildings. January 6th; Afternoon]

Isuke stared at the lightly decorated weapon in his hands. The blasted thing made no sense! Oh sure, creating multiple copies of a weapon was easily doable with a blueprint, but to create the same weapon with higher level materials was impossible! Any attempt to do so would only result in a window stating that the final product would be completely random. "And who did you say made this weapon?" He asked for the umpteenth time in twice as many minutes.

"An NPC on the first floor. His name is Ferghus. Doubt you've heard of him."

Oh he'd heard of him alright, though not since leaving the first floor. Every single NPC smith in Tolbana praised the man. 'Ferghus forged this hammer himself', 'Ferghus discovered this technique', 'Ferghus tended to the flames used to smelt this ingot'. It got to the point where other player smiths jokingly referred to Ferghus as the local god of forging.

"Yup." The woman before him popped the last syllable in response to his toned down verbal explanation, a trait he noticed she only showed when in a good mood. "He's a pretty big guy, the exact embodiment of what comes to mind when you think of a man who works in a forge all day." She motioned with her hands, exaggerating the features in comparison to herself.

A misconception perpetuated by visual media the world over. The profession of smithing metal resulted in a physique more like a Greek statue than Hulkian bodybuilder, especially once working with a partner became more prevalent.

"I want to meet him," he stated. The surprise she exhibited was a perfect mirror of his own, though only because willingly going to meet someone, even if there was a common interest, was something he rarely did. "Miss Asasaki, I'm still a gamer. Names don't get dropped that often unless they're important. Ferghus is a smith, I'm a smith. He may not focus in ninja weapons like me, but I know I'll be able to pick up something useful."

"Right." The blonde shook her head. "Just lemme know when you're available-"

"I can go right now." Better to keep on this motivation before something distracted him. "I'll send a message to my usual customers about what's going on and tack on a note in front of the shop."

"Er, sure." Seeing her act so flustered, when composure or snark was her default state, was a little exciting if he had to be honest." Meet me at the Teleport Gate when you're ready then."

Travelling with the diminutive foreigner was rather interesting, not that Isuke would dare bring up her height within earshot. He'd heard of her reactions from some of his more adventurous customers. In her defense though, the people who complained about her tended to be of the sort that would end up deserving it.

For most of the trip she was quiet, lazily gazing around like a cat at the window. Occasionally something would catch her attention and she would start rambling on about the topic and anything else, thoughts flowing directly brain to mouth without any filter until she caught herself.

"Do you still have your old weapons?" He asked eventually, breaking a loop of turning wheels and clopping hooves. The horse drawn carriage they were on was incredibly cheap but for a player still on the first floor it might as well have been a new set of armor. Not that Isuke was complaining; taking a ride through the forest had a magical quality to it he'd completely forgotten could be experienced in a full dive.

Asasaki flicked open her menu, finger rapidly moving through windows to reveal a partially filled box of neatly arranged weapons. "All of them, actually." The woman was her own personal armory, boasting an assortment of curved and straight swords (including a pair of starter swords) as well as a handful of levels and upgrades were questionable, but Isuke doubted she'd ever need worry about a lack of weapons if she found herself stranded.

"Why do you have so many?" A few of them he recognized as elven in origin. Ingots smelted from those weapons tended to result in gear a few levels higher than what was locally available. They were strong enough that the players who'd commissioned them used them even into the seventh floor, however the rarity of the original items meant buying them off the markets completely impractical.

"Forgetfulness, mostly." She paused, lip twitching into a sardonic grin. "Some have sentimental value though. I know I could just smelt them down into ingots and have them used to forge a new weapon, but it's hard letting go of tangible memories."

Isuke wasn't quite sure what prompted him to make the offer. As far as customer loyalty went, Fūmaningun were his most favored, and it wasn't as if she sold him extra materials out of good will either. A while back he'd cheated her a few rare materials from an upgrade but the guilt at betraying her trust kept him from doing that again. He did still occasionally ask for a few extra common materials though, a hidden service fee he never made mention of. "If you ever do decide on turning them into a new weapon, let me know. I'll do my best to make the results as strong as possible, for both you and those they remind you of." Maybe it was because she was one of the first few women in a while who'd continually talked to him in person. He hated to think that was the case though; there was absolutely no hope for a shut in like him to get together with a woman like her.

She snorted, the amused sound so uniquely her none of his countrywoman could attempt to replicate it. "This isn't an anime or manga you know. You can't just spout lines like that."

Isuke looked away, flooded by a sense of embarrassment. It wasn't as if he meant anything by it other than to lessen the burden on her inventory, but her teasing remark struck deep at the thoughts he refused to entertain.

"But thank you. I really appreciate it."

For a while the duo (trio if you counted the silent NPC driver, which he didn't) continued in silence, the magic of the trip only increasing when the carriage reached Tolbana and continued to ferry them through the streets. Thinking back on the trip from city to forest to city, Isuke could only express that he felt as if he had walked into a Ghibli film was how awe inspiring the scenery was. With every passed alleyway, the buildings below became lower and lower, until he could see the defensive wall at the other side without issue.

"This is our stop." Asasaki leaned over the backrest of the bench, asking the driver to wait for them. The handful of cor she slipped him probably helped. "Come on. Ferghus should be waiting for us." In one fluid motion she hopped off the back, continuing onward as if the jolt of landing wasn't even recognized.

Exactly how often has she done that? Isuke wondered, following her into the large building. Once his eyes adjusted to the dimmer lighting of the interior the ninja fanatic corrected his views on his client's stores. In the face of the rows upon rows of weapons and armor, Asasaki's 'armory' was better called an arsenal. The amount of weapons here could easily equip the front liners with two weapons each and still have enough to spare.

"Impressive, isn't it?" The pride expressed by her whole body might've suggested it was she herself who had collected everything. "Of course, most of these weapons aren't any good past the third floor, even with max upgrades, but it's the thought that counts."

"Most of them?" He inquired.

"Most of them," She repeated. "Towards the back there's a few weapons that are made with higher grade materials but those aren't exactly advertised for the few players that manage to get inside here. Even if they're functioning products, they're still experimental so using them isn't the best idea."

A voice from behind made the two of them turn around, its owner a behemoth of man whose clothes were spotted by soot, his upper body looking as if he could hug a pillar into rubble. "Are ya trying ta say something somebody about our work, Lass?"

 _I know I should be irritated by his appearance, but it's inspiring._

"Oh, no, not at all." Asasaki waved her hands repentantly, eyes apologetic.

"You better not be. The weapons on those racks are jus' proof of concept and hold no bearing on our actual work, unlike those weapons you an' Lady Mitsui have." Ferghus turned his gaze upon Isuke, an appraising gleam in his eyes. After a few moments his mouth spread into a mischievous grin. "Should I commission a ring from one of my craftsman, Lady Asasaki?"

"This is Isuke," she replied smoothly, utterly unphased by the jest. "He's my primary weapons repair and enhancement."

"So my men really aren't good enough for you."

"I don't doubt the skill of your craftsmen for a second, but your forges aren't equipped to handle the materials used for our current level of gear." Asasaki shook her head. "That's actually why I brought him along." The woman jabbed a thumb towards Isuke. "I'll have to talk with Mitsui about procuring the supplies, but I think the two of you might be able to have a worthwhile exchange of information and maybe even techniques. He's a good smith. Specialized, but good at what he does."

"A good smith, 'uh?" Ferghus rubbed his chin. "Come with me, Lad. If Lady Asasaki brought you to me, there's some things I'd like ta test ya on."

"I'll come back later this week with some more stuff for you guys to mess around with." The NPC's guiding hand prevented him from seeing Asasaki's farewell, the heat slowly rising as they approached the far side of the building.

"I've heard a bit about your swordsman smithing techniques. Y'just wave your hands in the air with the materials yer going to use, toss 'em into a forge, and smack the metal that comes out a few times, dontcha?"

"It's a bit more sophisticated than that," Isuke defended, "but yes." When Ferghus opened the door a wave of heat washed over him. Given a bit of humidity, the smith would have felt comfortable calling the room a sauna.

"Welcome to the great forges of Tolbana, Lad. Only the best smiths in this region get to work these flames, and you just so happen to be the first swordsman to see 'em. Not even the little Lady has been in here." Ferghus bellowed out for one of the various people standing around, apprentices if he had to guess, to bring his forge back into use.

"If Asasaki hasn't seen your forges, then how does she know you aren't equipped to work higher level materials?" Once Isuke got used to the temperature, he quickly realized that forges were made of nothing he'd ever seen before, though their appearances were thankfully the same as other permanent forges. Unlike the player acquired forges made from recolored/retextured stone and brick, these were made from a smooth black material that seemed akin to glass, pulsing lines of what seemed to be liquid fire spiralling horizontally around the exterior.

"The Lass is a few loops short of a tool belt. She might be able to get the job done but she ain't prepared for all a' them. I'm sure she went and thought too much about things and came to that answer."

Having not spent enough time with the woman, Isuke could only grunt in acknowledgement. With more time needed to prepare, something the otaku reasoned was unique to the larger, room based forges, Ferghus led Isuke around to watch the various smiths at work. Sometimes a crew of smiths would be hammering away at the lengths of heated metal, other times a single person would be slaving away at a nearly completed weapon. It was very much what he imagined when he thought of a smithie, which was why it startled him so much when he realized when these NPC's were not merely 'tapping a button and hitting something a few times'.

"Alright, Lad. The forge is just about ready. We've got some ingots you can use. They're local, I'm 'fraid, but show me what you've got."

The process went by as simply as ever, despite the half dozen or so people watching him. Gather the materials, open up the smithing menu, deposit the materials into the furnace, take out the now smelted ingot and hammer away. The metal required just over a half dozen times, the extra amount of hits attributed to using a proper forge instead of a portable one. When the glowing light faded away the otaku was left with a simple sabre complete with grip, a blueprint he hadn't used for well over two months.

"Hrm." Ferghus lifted the sword up and gave it a few test swings. "Not a bad weapon. Lacks a personalized touch, but for equipping a large force this sort of uniformity is more than fine." The man set the weapon down and gestured for Isuke to follow. "But frankly speaking, if yer going to be equipping people risking their lives with gear like this you oughta feel ashamed of yerself."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" he cried, the slight cutting a bit deep.

"Ferst off, respect yer elders. I'm teaching ya lad, that means you better pay attention. We may be the ones supplying Lady Asasaki but by her own admission it's you she's coming back to, so if she ends up kicking it it's your hide we're flaying."

Despite himself, Isuke gulped. "Yes sir."

"Now, we'll let your swordsmen arts take care of enhancements; the pride of the Black Iron Kingdom smithies is that of our quality. Back when our lands were still connected, we were the proud forgers of the blades of kings and heroes. If you wanted a weapon to go down through history, you came to us. The temperature of the flames, the quality of the ore, even the pressure used in striking the metal. People the world over came to learn from us." Ferghus led Isuke to a different set of forges in a separate building, these ones made from a more familiar material and manned by what was likely apprentices judging by their appearances. "But if you want to actually learn how to do that, you need to start from the basics. Don't worry about it too much, Lad. Your swordsman magic will help you be able to keep up; you've got the strength, too. Now you just need t' learn the knowledge."

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[6th Floor, Tarragon Temple. January 8th, 2022; early afternoon]

Earthen hues of green and brown spread out before me, enveloped by the deep blues of the early afternoon. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of this." Beside me, Gar'veni hummed in agreement.

Less than half an hour ago we'd arrived on the highest island of the region, the ruins of the Tarragon temple. Garoshi had emphasized the fact that thanks to the magic of Aincrad, only those who had fully upgraded their gliders were able to access the island, let alone see it. A blessing I was more than thankful for. I didn't mind having people around during my off time, but for the coming conversation I'd rather have it be as private as possible.

Our trip up the island was filled by the continuation of our pleasantries upon Garoshi's back, the both of us regaling tales of our daily affairs. The dragon itself had gone ahead with Daiquiri inside the temple. Something about taking rest at an old spot it had not been to in many years.

"So." A breath of air involuntarily left my body as I sat down on the carved stone steps, my companion positioned a few steps above me. "Crystal Trees and how they differ from Spirit Trees."

The elf nodded solemnly, taking a moment before speaking. "What do you know of the two, if anything?"

"Crystal trees tend to be frail looking," I recounted. "They're a mix of thin spindly limbs that are as white as a birch tree but they don't really have a wood-like appearance. They look more like they're made out of some kind of crystal than anything. As for the spirit trees, they're trees that the elves, both types, utilize to travel between the floors. I guess in previous years they were used to make communication easier, much like our swordsman messaging."

"Precisely. In our homelands, our original one, crystals were our resource much in the same way that ore is for humans and other species. With our innate magic, we were able to form them into various tools and shapes, though over time they would lose their form." The Forest Elf held out a hand, smile faltering as whatever he attempted to do failed. "But casting on our own required significant effort, effort we decided was better spent towards other things. In place of spending days, weeks, or even months to create a single object, we borrowed the magical glyphs and circles of the rest of the world. The crystal prisms you described finding, instant curatives and transporters, were one such creation."

Garveni took a sip from his water skin, thinking something over before speaking again. "Before, when we were able to use our magic freely, the only cost needed to create those portable restoratives was a group of people meditating for a time, feeding their energies into the construct with a specific thought in mind. Experiments by some of our less morally scrupulous individuals realized that by offering a sacrifice you could create a whole crystal in an instant, not the hours of focus normally needed. Adjusting the circles some could let you dictate the results, with the original form producing the standard healing crystal."

"You guys created those things on your own?" I slid my left leg in and lightly wrapped my arms around it, a bit of amusement curling my lips upward. "And here I was thinking those were naturally occurring."

The elf looked at me, slightly displeased. "Despite what Aincrad might lead you to believe, _all_ crystals were crafted by an elf. Though like the rest of our magic, the majority of them were taken from us upon our arrival here."

I barked. "Yeah, well. Looks like the Fallen Elves are successfully making new ones, so there's that." I cleared my throat, realizing how insensitive that was. "Sorry. Didn't mean to bring the mood down."

"Perceived transgressions aside, how do you plan on dealing with them?"

"React, mostly," I muttered, curious as to what the Garveni might have seen if he was able to respond so nonchalantly towards a jest regarding mass murder. "S'not like I can exactly sniff them out like a dog or get a bird's eye view to find their bases. If nothing else, it's trying to get as strong as possible for when we ultimately go up against them."

"I'm sure you'll do fine, Asasaki. Elves may have centuries on you in terms of experience, but the magic of Swordsmen is not something to be underestimated."

"Yeah." I looked back at the horizon, quietly warding off the invasive thoughts. "I'm sure it'll go by fine."

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[6th Floor, Scavenger's Base. January 9th, 2022; morning.]

Fūrinkazan had just arrived in the teleport town some half hour ago. The day previous we'd spent the entire evening making our way to and up the Tarragon Temple in the more forested region of the Valley of Dragons. Equipment worn down and inventories packed with materials, the eight of us has split for the rest of our weekly scheduled P Day.

I myself had found someplace to eat at while I tried to track down a certain brown hair pipsqueak, determined no to inconvenience her once again. #Where you at?# I bit off another piece of «Seasoned Lizard Skewer», the player made dish just a bit too dry for my preferences. By the time I'd begun working through the second of five, Lisbeth's response arrived.

#Circular plaza in the se of Savenger's Base, 6th floor. Busy atm. Come over in an hour.#

 _Sounds like I get to relax a little longer. A small nap somewhere sounds just fine._ Once I finished off the rest of the jerky-esque meal, I took to the roofs in search of someplace to rest. It took me a little bit, but eventually I found a quaint rooftop taking the full force of a sunbeam. Protected by a thin blanket I kept in my inventory for this exact reason, I bundled up some extra clothes under my head and closed my eyes, determination of soak up some morning sun causing me to forget about setting an alarm.

In any situation, fraternizing with a superior was most definitely looked down upon. Considering how long some of us had been deployed here though, I doubted anybody would make much of a fuss. Besides, it was well known at this point that my squad was more close knit than others. "What do you think about these, Sarge?" I waved a large box of strawberry pocky around, one of four delicacies among these parts.

"I think you're outta your head, Lakewood." Klein looked up from the shelf and stared at me disapprovingly. "I know it's easy to forget when we're indoors, but remember that we're still in a desert region. You step outside and all that sugar's going to melt to the bottom of those bags."

"So then we'll keep it inside the barracks and only break them out for movie night," I countered. "Besides, it's not like we'll burn through the things. For some reason I've been blessed with a unit that shares my distaste for majorly sweet things."

"Yes, as I've noticed whenever you and Barters come back from the kitchen with containers full of baked goods that've been sprinkled with sea salt or are a dusting of sugar away from being the hard tack of the old days."

"And yet you're still the main person who eats all them," I sung.

"Something my body both reprimands and praises you for providing.

I pressed my lips together, an stray thought rebirthing questions I thought long buried. "Hey, Sarge?"

 _ **How long do you think we'll be in here?**_

"What kind of question is that, Lakewood? You know how long we'll be here."

An errant wind slipping underneath my clothes jolted me awake, a subtle prodding in my mind of having done a mistake growing more and more vocal with every imagined heartbeat. _What kind of dream was that?_ I slowly sat up, moving the soles of my shoes against each other in a partial butterfly. Slowly, every passing second muddled the details into nothing, leaving me with a vague nostalgia. _And why was Klein there?_ Mind still grasping at the impressions, my body carried me over to Lisbeth's store, the longing sensation turning into an unnameable frustration.

Lisbeth rose from her supine position as I approached, looking as if she had recently awoken from a nap as well. "Huh, you actually came. You were supposed to be here half and hour ago.."

"Sorry. I took a nap and ended up falling asleep instead. At least I'm here now?" I offered.

The teen gave a half hearted shrug. "It's no big deal. Seems like the rest of my potential suppliers have been disappointing me as well. From what I've heard they've found a better buyer so you're my first good news in a week."

I offered a bit of empathy, knowing full well how it felt to have somebody you needed something from fall through. Once the trade began, I dragged over the items she requested as well as the majority of the materials I'd picked up. "Are these even worthwhile for you? The ones you requested specifically, I mean."

"Only for some minor enhancements." The brunette scrutinized me for several moments before sighing with her entire body. "Look, I'm in a bit of a bind. If you bring me a selection of materials every couple of days, I'll do all your repairs and upgrades, free of charge."

 _Well that's not sudden._ "That sounds like a tremendous loss to you." I pulled the screen to the side and stared at her directly. "Why would you do something like that? And why me?"

"I said it, didn't I? I'm having some trouble right now." Lisbeth looked away. "Asuna put in a good word for you. Said that among the rest of the adults in here you're pretty dependable. If she thinks you're reliable then I'll take her word for it. Despite your screw up last time."

 _So you know I'm an adult and yet still you're acting so flippant with me._ "I make no promises. But truthfully, you should probably consider sending me a list of things you'll need. I don't vary my hunting grounds enough to offer you a good enough selection." I nodded towards my current offering. It only took her a single glance to confirm what I was talking about. "Consider it a deal then." I extended a hand towards her, the girl reciprocating the action

"I look forward to our future business together."

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[4th Floor, Rovia Inn. January 11th, afternoon]

 _It's so stupid that they don't want to go to the front lines._ Ducker pushed his finger along one of the grooves of the countertop. Not too long ago the Moonlit Black Cats had split off until the evening. They were meant to meet back up at the inn for dinner, but after their discussion turned argument he wasn't exactly feeling up to seeing everybody again. _I mean it's not like we're anywhere near getting out of here, so we might as well do as much as we can to help out._ The sudden grinding of material against the floor made him twitch for his weapon, but went otherwise unnoticed. _What's so hard to understand about that?_

"Aren't you a little young to be at the baR?" The voice came from the same direction as the grinding chair. Feminine and with a somewhat irritating jump at the end.

"You can't get drunk in here anyway, so what does it matter?" he grumbled.

"I'm sure there's more than one person who would still argue against thaT."

"Yeah, well, those people aren't here so I'm going to do whatever I want." Ducker sat up straight and gulped down a few mouthfuls of his drink in spite. A couple weeks ago he would have sputtered at the burning sensation going down his throat. Now he was able to keep up with some of the night crew without any problems.

"What _is_ a kid your age doing in here anywaY? Why not off exploring somewhere with your friends or gaining new map info because you need some moneY?"

"Because my friends think going to the front lines is the stupidest thing in the world and I'm not in the right state of mind to going anywhere worthwhile by myself."

The silence went on for longer than he expected. "What level are yoU?"

"17." Ducker thumped his chest proudly, nearly tipping over his cup with the movement. "Four more levels and then I'm going to try and find a party to get into that dungeon back on the third floor."

"You should be careful if you do go therE. Levels alone aren't enough to keep you alivE; you'll need to work with your team to maintain aggro and damagE."

"Oh trust me, I know all about maintaining that sort of stuff." Ducker turned to face the woman properly. "I had the best teacher in the world, after all!"

"I'm sure you diD." Despite being completely hidden by the full body tan cloak, Ducker had the sensation of being inspected like piece of artwork at a convention. "What's your namE?"

"My name is Ducker, and I'm going to be the best Thief in Aincrad!"

The woman seemed amused by his statement. "Alright, DuckeR; have you ever heard of the Sahuagin dungeoN?"

"No. What's that?"

"It's a new dungeon on this floor that was discovered earlier this montH. It's out of the way so not many people go to explore it, but it could be hiding something useful so it's important that we do sO." The cloaked woman summoned a packet of notes from her menu and held it out for him. "This is all the information we currently have on the dungeoN. You'll need to go with a team and it's slow progress, but if you want to join the frontlines clearing out an unknown dungeon is a good place to starT."

A spark of curiosity and suspicion shot through his mind. "You can't be doing this out of goodwill, especially since an unexplored dungeon means brand new and unique rewards. Why tell me this?"

Somberly, though very much a recitation of facts, "Out of the some 8,000 people still in this world, approximately 3,000 are fighters of any kinD. Of those 3,000, only around 500 roam the highest floorS. Barely 6% of the people in this world are actively trying to get us out of herE." The woman shook her head. Even unable to see her face, Ducker could tell she was frowning. "We need more people out therE. People willing to find every advantage we caN. It's not often I find somebody as willing as you comes alonG." A moment of mutual staring and sizing up passed before the woman nodded towards the door. "You should get goinG. Training, exploration, whateveR. It's about to get busy in here sooN. You're lucky I decided to come to earlY."

"Uh, right." Ducker stood up and made to move, feeling as if he was being warned away from something incredibly dangerous. Before he left he turned around, wondering if he'd just made a pact with a demon. "Hey, I never caught your name."

"Call me The RaT."

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[?. Unknown Date]

"You have failed to rendezvous for our previous two meetings. Explain."

"Aw, come on, babe. You know I wouldn't have missed out on our date if I didn't have a good reason." Silence, the audience was.

"Report."

"Subject 03 was easier than you said she'd be. Can't say for certain whether I'd survive if it was just me and her though."

"You should not have engaged this early." Narrowed eyes stared back at me. "Doing so was foolish; your actions have revealed another faction at work among other irrevocable effects."

"Don't get your panties in a twist. It's not like she wouldn't have found out eventually. She's kind of like a dog like that. Well trained and knows what to look for." Silence ruled once again. I shifted in my seat, throwing a leg over the armrest.

"How are the others among your group?"

"About as well as you expected. Eager for the hunt and grinding their teeth at the bit." Now there was a thought. "Hey, maybe she's in heat! That'd explain why they're so restless." My joke fell upon uncaring ears. Our personalities were different like that.

"Do not to make contact with her, or the other subjects, again. Interference skews results. Remember our purpose, to-"

"Observe the catalysts, I got it, I got it. Forgive me for wanting to have a little fun. You can only fix a pinata so many times before watching it get broken becomes boring."

"Then find another avenue of amusement. The first test is coming to a close; we can not afford to have the outcomes artificially manipulated in any way; everything must be organic, Radinca. Do not fail again."

* * *

 _Updates should be occurring every so often; just in case you get notifications far more often than you're used to. The next proper chapter will come out_ **March 22nd** _._


	35. Sisyphean Endeavors

Sorry for the late update. I was out of town the past couple days and wasn't able to update properly. It's possible to do it via mobile, but it's a pain and a half to interface with everything; c-v'ing from docs to the ff document, formatting properly, etc.

I'm slightly upset with myself that I don't have a 'new' new chapter for March, but I feel like all the work I put in to fixing the portions that needed to realigned with where I was makes up for it. I hope. Said chapters are "Iridescence", "Hygge", and "Perpetuality".

I've said it before, but having a deadline is incredibly important for me. Ordinarily I would have kept editing until the 29th, but the knowledge that I was three (technically four) nights past my due date made me sigh rather heavily.

* * *

" **It's said that doing something without change is grounds for insanity. I'd argue that for some things, it's validation."**

 _What's driving them? Natural stamina? Anger? Determination?_ For the past two hours or so we had been fighting our way through the endless gauntlet of the cave, the elves showing no signs of slowing down or fatigue. It was only thanks to members of both parties being able to read the hidden signs and symbols scattered about that kept our marathon from turning labyrinthian.

"We must be getting close." Bael'na huffed out, perched upon a small outcropping.

The female Dark Elf had been a bit of a surprise to me. Only an inch or two taller than me and yet she shared the same ferocity in battle I had. Perhaps it was something caused by being constantly looked down on by others, physically or otherwise. "I've wandered these woods countless times, long before these lands were sealed away. If we continue much longer we'll be in the dead center of the region."

"Is that why we always came across you in our lands? Forgoing our treaties and risking mutual assured destruction for the sake of a simple walk?" The opposing leader of the Forest Elf delegation snorted. "Perhaps you weren't as air headed as we thought, strolling about unarmed with only the clothes on your back."

"Bael'na, Hensel. If you two might cease your flirtings." The protests of the duo were swiftly cut off by Iseyer. "Your ears must have become cut since the separation. We are getting close to our quarry; pray tell you can at least hear that thrum?"

Dislodged rocks, moaning air. Try as hard as I could, nothing other than dripping water and the usual ambiance of a cave reached my ears. All of the elves seemed to sense something else though.

Bael'na took a swig from her water container and swished it around a bit before swallowing. "You six, go scout ahead and try to find the source. Move slowly to pinpoint its location."

The designated team saluted their commander and headed off, their footsteps overpowered by the trickling flow of water running through our tunnel. "Hey, Iseyer." I looked at the elf, one corner of my mouth pulling back in mirth. "So when are you going to get me some boots of elvenkind?"

The blonde raised a questioning brow.

"You know, those special boots you guys are wearing that let you move about so silently?"

Hensel shook his head, answering in my Contracted's stead. "Tribe secret, Lady Asasaki. Even if we did give you the boots, you wouldn't know how to walk properly enough to utilize them."

A wry smile graced my lips. "If I found out, I'd have to be silenced?" I teased.

"Not if you developed the technique on your own," the elf responded.

I chuckled and moved to join Bael'na. The Dark Elf only expressed a brief moment of distaste before hiding it, turning away in an attempt to ignore me. _That won't do at all._ "So." I scooted over, smirking slightly when she leaned away in surprise. "Me being an ignorant little Swordsman, mind telling me exactly how you guys brought those spirit trees over? The most I know about them is that they're basically different sea ports with the method of travel being the equivalent of a boat or ship.

"A cutting of the Elder Tree from the original home of all elves," Hensel cut in once again. Glancing at the others, "It was well before our time. Back then all elves were of a single clan and did not develop into the two separate lines that we are today." He motioned towards the Dark Elves accompanying us. "The trees in each region are siblings, each one linked to another. As much as we may hate each other-"

"Attacking the other's Spirit Tree is forbidden for our mutual survival," Bael'na finished.

It was a bit astonishing how comfortable Bael'na and Hensel were. Some of their men shared that trait, though as begrudging tolerance rather than unrealized sexual tension. Perhaps Iseyer's jest had more merit to it than expected.

The four of us fell into a somewhat comfortable silence. For my part, I checked on all of my current equipment, keeping my mind busy by noting their current durability as well as other values. Regarding Stygian Curse, the hot keyed motion of the dagger was replicated thrice but not pulled out. I wasn't entirely sure how the elves would feel about me pulling out something the Fallen Elves used, especially now that it held a sinister, malevolent red tint around its edge after the morning's fights.

Before long the scouting party came back, stating they'd found something out of place that they weren't sure how to interact with. The subject in question was a thin hole in the wall, a fairly heavy looking but roundish stone slab laying nearby. It was almost comical how small the cavity was in comparison.

"All of the markers nearby lead to here," one of the elves explained. "We got lucky by feeling around, but we have no way to move forward."

As the party and the two leaders started discussing how to proceed, I moved over to the the vertical slit and traced it with my finger. Its 'I' shape was vaguely familiar, though I wasn't quite sure from where.

"And there was nothing nearby? No signs that were out of place that would have hinted at what we needed?"

"None, Sergeant Bael'na."

I moved away from the oddity and joined the others. "So what now? We've got a clue but no leads as to what it could be used for."

"A hole in the wall feels to me as if it would require a key," Hensel said. "A key unique to the Fallen Elves, but not so much that not all of them would be able to access it."

My eyes drifted to the bottom of my vision. Pulsing gently, a white exclamation point boxed by red requested my attention.

#Quest Update: claim a weapon from a Fallen Elf.#

#Task Complete!#

I walked back to the hole and called forth the dagger, staring at it in irritation. _It seriously wasn't that easy, right?_ Without any fanfare, I slotted the weapon in, eliciting a muffled click and minute rumbling. _So what exactly happened?_ I stepped back and looked around, trying to find anything out of place. When neither I nor the Elves commented on anything, I pulled the weapon out and deposited it back into my inventory, turning to face them. "Well, now wha-!"

An undignified yelp most certainly did not escape my lips. Suddenly no longer in existence, the rock wall I attempted to sit on gave way to an unforgiving and pebble coated floor.

"Lady Asasaki!" Iseyer's crystal clear voice followed after me, the elf tripping over my feet and knocking the remaining wind out of my lungs.

I groaned, attempting to reconcile the sensations in my body with the knowledge that it was only supposed to be a convincing expectation. "Please get off, you're heavy."

Iseyer rolled off with an apology, footsteps moving away. "It's nothing more than an illusion," he told the others. "Though with the weapon out who knows how long it will last."

"How many times must I suffer pain before my body realizes it's not actually occurring?" I muttered as I got to my feet. Able to take a better look at our new surroundings, I realized that the cave previous lit by extremely luminescent moss was now illuminated by ovoidal crystals emitting fiery colors. Unlike a normal oxygen based torch, these filled sconces had no flickering to speak of, the light given off completely regular.

"There's our way forward, at least." Bael'na turned to address me, giving a frankly disgusted frown upon mentioning the 'key'. "Would you might staying with us at the front? We may have further need of your liberated weapon."

As it would turn out, the trek along the path was nothing sort of mind numbingly boring. At least for me. With so many bodies in our group, I felt perfectly safe turning off my mind and simply following the trail, letting the others concern themselves with potential traps and enemies.

Soft, pulsing blue light reflecting off a wall pulled me out of my trance, the whispers around me drowning out the soft, rhythmic hum of something.

I took a step forward and called out for Iseyer. "Stay back five paces. Back me up if needed." Order given, I peered around the sharp bend. Where the tunnel previously looked to have been formed by countless droplets of water sliding through the ground, this section was neatly cut away, the rock faces completely smooth.

I called forth Barbed Sabre and waved Isyer over, continuing my way forward. With every step the light pulsed, drawing me forward with each appearance. The smooth stone continued forward for a little bit. Lit by the red and orange light from before, a dead end lay on the other side of a new corridor, the emanations combining together to create a light magenta.

In the following hall, rock gave way to shiny black material, beads of mellow sapphire light rolling along unseen arteries away from the wall at the end and disappearing under the stone. The center of the rectangular panel at the back held an odd, geometric, red bolt of energy pointed down, its outline and tails reminiscent of a linear celtic knot.

Iseyer mirrored my soft spoken inquiry as he approached, brow furrowed.

"I don't know." I answered dumbly, irritation burning at the constant state of ignorance. "I don't think we can even-" I cut myself off and sheathed my sword. _Ancient Technology. Swordsmen of yore. It's far fetched, but at its core, this world is still just a game._ I strode down the corridor, the beads of light dancing upon my skin. All but my pointer finger curled in as I raised my hand.

 _Stop hesitating. If it works, it works. If not, nobody's around to bother you about it._

I reached out and tapped the door, an intense amount of embarrassment bubbling within.

#Energy Matrix recognized. Welcome, Swordsman. Your Senior has left systems running for you.#

 _Well that's not ominous._

With nary a creak or groan the door slid up. The same black material of the hall continued on, this time solid lines of soft blue lighting the area in a wide grid pattern. I called the others forward, comparing my maps while they reveled in marvel and awe. "It might be best if we split up," I suggested. "Provided my data isn't compromised, this complex starts somewhere at the edge of Awass Town. It's entirely possible it spans the entire length, or just a small section."

"Forest Elves to the right. Dark Elves on the left," Hensel commanded.

"Hold on." I closed out of all my windows. "That door reacted to my presence. We should probably make sure both teams have Forest and Dark Elves just in case." Everybody gave me doubting looks. Without any verbal fuss, Hensel and Bael'na reorganized their groups.

"Lady Swordsman. Sergeant." The leader of the Dark Elves spoke up from the entrance to the left hall. "We'll leave you to decide which group to follow after. May the Spirit Trees guide you."

Iseyer turned to look at me, Alduin and Heivaar repeating after their leader. "Well, Lady Asasaki? What say you? Left or right?"

I looked down both paths. The two leaders had done as Hensel said, and without any additional information it was a total coin toss on which would be safer. "[Right is right, right]?" I raised my right hand over my left and pointed towards the other door. "But if you follow the left wall, you'll eventually find the exit."

"If I may suggest, Lady Asaski." Alduin stepped forward, the elf having proven repeatedly over the past few hours to be a surprising source of insight. "If all things go well, working with the Dark Elves might better our relation with them. It may not result in anything after this is all said and done, but perhaps the gesture of kindness might change their minds about our kind, however slightly."

"Left it is then."

When we caught up to the mostly Dark Elf group, Bael'na was just finished ordering her troops around, each team shuffling as quietly as they could down the halls. "Lady Swordsman. A pleasure to see you here. I've just sent everyone off to continue exploring. Once they reach a fork and must go off on their own or after twenty minutes they are to report back to me. I would rather not have anyone explore by themselves."

"Should have made it so that they clear in groups of three, at minimum," I mumbled, eyeing each doorway warily. To her request for clarification,"Ignore me. Just thinking about some things." _Come on, girl. This is a game. That piece of metal at your hip is a sword, not a gun. Clearing a room poorly won't result in death, just a really annoying time._ "Lady Bael'na,"

"Sergeant," she clarified. "Though here I carry just as much weight as dear Captain Hensel."

"Sergeant Bael'na, would you mind if we went and looked on our own? There might be some things that only I can interface with."

She stepped to the side and gestured with an arm. "By all means."

I took another breath, the motion doing nothing to calm my nerves. _It's just a game. You can manage a surprise attack._ "On me. Be quiet with any warnings; we don't want to alarm anybody." Entered rooms had been designated by their doors being left open; so far our section had been entirely clear. It wasn't until we came to an unexplored room that housed several plinth that anything caught my attention. bearing the crest on the first door although "Keep watch. I'm pretty sure I can utilize those things." A window popped up at my 'touch', each tab a garbled mess of characters I had no hope of deciphering. I scrolled down a bit, opening one at random.

#Log XXX. Date, XX/XX/XXXX. Supplemental crystal production is now fully underway across the various labs. While the arcane weavers are doing the best they can, their output is not nearly enough to meet demands by the time we are YXJlIGV4cGVjdGVkIHRvIHdhZ2Ugd2Fy. It is only thanks to our scientists that these bGlmZSBjb252ZXJ0ZXJz have been such a success. Harness the energy lost through combat and repurposing it for restoration; magic is truly a wonderful thing.#

The following entry had its date and number equally corrupted.

#The training grounds of the Black Iron Kingdom have been fully outfitted with the latest technology. The records of dGhlIGxpYnJhcnk= required updating, but now we can send each untested Swordsman into combat without fear. So long as they maintain their energy, they can gain more and more experience, ZWFybmluZyByZXdhcmRz alongside their efforts.#

When I closed out of the screen, the wall of plinths flashed dimly, ribbons of light streaming out into a bright cyan sphere of data. For a few moments the object hovered, an abnormality compared to everything else in the game. Without any warning, it flew into my chest, disappearing with nary a sensation.

#You have obtained «QW5jaWVudCBSZWNvcmRzCg==».#

 _What the hell is this? What the heck is_ all _of this?_ Bewildered, I shook my head and rejoined Iseyer and his two subordinates in the hall.

"Find anything of use?"

"A few leads." I crossed my arms, a frown settling on my face. "I think whatever's going on here is the official version of what happened back on the third floor. Remember what you told me about that ritual and those crystals? How you could impart specific effects into crystals?" The conversation had occurred during a late night drink. Most of it had flown over my head, but it was the basis for why I thought the Fallen Elves were preparing for a war. "I think this building here is designed around that. 'Harness the energy lost through combat and repurpose it for restoration'." I cursed. "What if they've already been generating crystals?"

I started pacing, uncaring of the noise I was making. "The arena had some sort of effect on the fighters within to protect us from further damage after we hit a certain point." I snapped my fingers, eyes widening at the realization. "My strikes. I thought they were glowing a little brighter than normal."

"Lady Asasaki, you've lost me."

"There's magic or something running underneath the arena that collects part if not all of the life energy lost through combat. Shit, how long have they been doing this?" I made to run my hand through my hair, instead colliding with my helmet. "We need to get back to Bael'na. Hopefully Hensel's fine on his end, but we need to move now, try and stop whoever's still in here." I started jogging, ordering any elves we came across to head back immediately.

"You think they really have a way to escape?"

"Sergeant, you were there at the battle in Tidal Canyon." I shouted down a hall, repeating my order to regroup at the trio of elves that just exited a room. "We both know they have the means to travel the floors without the use of the Spirit Trees."

"Even during our golden days, crystals were rather expensive to procure. Teleportation crystals even more so. It may be nothing more than wishful thinking, but even so."

"Sergeant Bael'na!" My feet clinked together, arm just barely kept from snapping into a salute. "We have to get moving."

"Did you find anything of note?" She asked, hands behind her back. A few of the elves that had arrived stared at me in confusions, the stragglers that trickled in doing the same.

"We- I- have reason to believe the Fallen Elves have already been using the magic in this area for their own uses. Considering the door out front told me that 'my Senior had left the systems running for me' it's entirely possible they're still here." _And with nobody having been found, isn't that a terrifying thought?_

The Forest Elf gave a heavy sigh. "Perhaps it is as you say. We shall wait for the others to return however. One of Hensel's men found an odd door. If a fight lays beyond it, then we should be at our full strength." When our number was finally complete Bael'na motioned for one of the forest elves to lead the way. In a long but easily replicated path we arrived at a large set of doors, the same red geometric motif adorning them.

"Shields at the front," I called out. "Who knows what we'll see on the other side."

#Warning: access to the central lab is strictly forbidden by unauthorized personnel. Only those with the proper credentials are allowed within.#

 _You placed an 'open' button right next to the 'cancel' option, that means I don't have to listen to you._ The doors slid open to either side with a small, mechanical hiss. Inside lay another room with a series of consoles displaying fluctuating data, several of them displaying the large circular area below us hosting a contingent of Fallen Elves as well as our separated allies.

"Hensel!" Iseyer caught me by the shoulders as Bael'na shoved me aside, rushing up to the clear and fortified glass window. "We need to get down there! They're in trouble!"

I swiveled my gaze around, desperately trying to find something that looked like a map. A muffled scream from the video feeds demanded my attention. From multiple angles, a familiar looking Elf pulled back his dagger, dispassionately watching the body of one of the dark elves slump to the floor in a twitching heap. From his convulsing form lines of red pulsed out along the black metal floor, arcing towards what looked like a bird bath in the center made of the same material.

The silence in the room became oppressive. Enemies or not, seeing one of their kin suffer so unnaturally must have been unsettling.

With a scream of rage, Bael'na took one of the chairs and swung it at the window, recoiling back without so much as a crack. "Get down there, now! We have to back them up!" The elves broke off without so much as a complaint as to how they would get down a whole floor, the panic and rage on their faces mirroring the leader of the Dark Elves.

"Lady Asasaki!" Iseyer stepped forward, a stern look on his face. "You seem to be able to access this technology. Do what you can, my men and I will stand guard. Sergeant Bael'na, you should go with your men. They will need somebody to rally around."

 _I hate this feeling._ I ran to one of the consoles and began tapping randomly, trying to find a spot that would open the interface.

Another one of the elves down below was dragged closer to the plinth.

 _How did I ever cope with all this stress?_ With nothing popping open I moved to another one of the desks, realising that part of the surface was made of a more glassy material than its monochromatic encasing. _Power, power. I need the power button._

Lightly dragging my fingers along the panel I managed to find a button, the switch causing blue light to crawl up the sides. _Yes! Now how do I-_ A curse slipped out of my mouth. Though I'd been forced to read Japanese for a solid three months, my comprehension of it wasn't anywhere near acceptability. I skimmed through as quickly as I could, trying to find any sort of controls. When none presented itself I swapped to another unit, doing the same without success.

Three more elves were dragged and turned into data fragments by the time I found the terminal I needed. "Iseyer! After me!" Fingers more than used to rapid swipes and taps from working my inventory, the lights were slammed to max power at the same time the windows of the room were opened.

I dove towards the ground, the tingles in my body giving way to manual control as I executed a roll to bleed off the momentum. The heavy thuds behind me were ignored as I spirited towards the Fallen Elf with the dagger. A fist encased in a thick, decorated gauntlet stopped my weapon in its tracks, the owner's pupils mere dots from the change in lighting.

"Hello there, Swordsman from the Mountain." The dagger user turned his gaze away from the disintegrating form of the most recent elf, the remaining four (including Hensel) scattered about unmoving. "I would say that I am pleased to meet you, but you're interrupting my experiment. Might I convince you to wait until we are finished?"

A rising left-right diagonal slash was all I gave in response, my enemy retreating at his leader's call.

"No, I thought not. Though before you continue, Swordsman, might I remind you of your situation? As strong as you are, I doubt you could fight your way through two dozen soldiers."

I withdrew slightly into myself at his words, the folly of my actions becoming apparent. _No back up either. Iseyer and the others are too far away. Bael'na and her men are nowhere to be found. Nice work, Dawn. Your squad's going to be proud of you, truly._

"You know, I think he might not be appreciative of it, but why don't I ask you anyway." The elf tucked the rather ornate weapon beneath his coat and adjusted the fabric, smoothing out any wrinkles. "Come with me peacefully and I promise that no harm will befall you."

A damnable quest marker popped above his head, every rotation a taunting invitation to accept.

"Forgive me if I don't believe you," I shot. _Twenty one posted around the room. Two nearby that could reach me before I reengage him._

"Believe me or not, the choice is yours," The man smiled broadly, hands spread invitingly, "Lady Asasaki."

I gripped my weapon tighter. _I could get two hits off him, but only one might be able to land. By then Beefcake and Brutus would be on me._

Heedless of my internal monologue, "I'm sure there are many questions you have of this world. If you work with my group, we could solve all of them. How to leave Castle Aincrad without reaching the top, for starters."

"The one who imprisoned us here would have already removed any potential way to get out of here," I snarked.

The elf gestured with his hands, hiding an unknown signal in the movements. "Once upon a time, we would remain as spirits, awaiting restoration from an ally or returning back to a place we had designated as 'home'. Now, we shatter into fragments of glass you Swordsmen call 'data'. So much change to have been forced upon us; even a great as mind as 'Kayaba' would surely have missed something." He stepped forward, the quest marker beckoning in place of his pocketed hands. "Come with me. Think of the lives we could save if we found another passage."

"Yeah? And at what cost?"

"Nothing more than what is has already been taken." He took another step closer, retreating placatingly when I tightened my stance. "Is this a denial then, Lady Asasaki?"

"Marked with the brightest red you've ever seen, Coat Man."

The doors on the left opened up at that moment, the host of Bael'na's elves pouring through and engaging the Fallen Elves in battle.

Gesturing with his chin, "Ren'thal, Ein'zo, keep them busy. The Swordsman and I have yet to finish our talk."

"I think we're done here, Elf." I waited for the hulking «Triarius» to leave before I started approaching, the man clicking his tongue in disappointment.

"No, we are not. You might think we are-" The moment I surged forward he fell back into a simple defensive position and fended me off, the barely long enough shortsword in his hand. "It is rather rude to interrupt somebody when they are talking, Miss Asasaki."

"I'm a rather rude person." I feinted a slash from his right, swift steps letting me mar his back with red. A reversing sweep kick sent him falling towards the ground, the butt of my sword escorting him along. "Comes with being a foreigner, so I'm told."

The elf scrambled to his feet quickly, reaching into his coat for something. With the untempered grace of somebody who had been bullied into learning, he dodged my next series of strikes, holding aloft an ornate crystal. "Until we meet again, Miss-!"

I drew my sword back from its pommel strike and let out a puff of air, a flurry of rectangular panels phasing the elf away. A tumbling body drew my attention to my feet. "Oh, hey, Iseyer." Blade back at my side, I offered a hand to the prone Elf and asked why he was on the ground.

"You cannot possibly be serious," he deadpanned, taking a moment to recover his wits.

Giving a shrug, "I kind of am."

"Please take a look around you and come to your own conclusion." Iseyer picked up his weapons and jogged off, my tracking eyes reinforming me of our situation.

I sniffed. "Right." Tossing yet another psychological crisis to the back of my mind, I wrapped myself in the emotions that would let me perform as needed. "Things to kill, people to save." _Break the lines through the center, draw aggo so they can survive easier._ "Just another Friday." I leaned forward. The almost addictive sensation of the system shot up my legs and into my hands. A beat. Sickly dark skin sandwiched my peripherals.

My danse macabre began once again.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

 _They weren't ready for this._ My body blocked yet another strike. _I wasn't ready for this._ The battle had been going so well at the start. Though we had a minor numerical superiority, that advantage had changed part way through the battle, when the strongest of the bunch had raised their hands to the ceiling and activated the healing crystals they had. The numbers advantage quickly became a disadvantage, and of our remaining eight, only six were combat able.

"The only way we're getting out of here is if we make one last push," Iseyer muttered behind me. He'd taken a heavy hit earlier and his sword arm had been put out of commission, His off hand wasn't that bad, but the openings in his form were glaringly obvious.

"I think I could hold about three of them, but for how long is a different question." I'd been lucky enough to not have any limbs crushed or severed, but constant clashing of weapons had forced me to change to my technically inferior Silicatite Dao and my potion stores were well under half. I'd taken a chance every so often to toss a potion to each of the elves, but without a moment to check on them I couldn't tell exactly how healthy they were. Exhaustion was setting in on all of us though.

"If you could last long enough for us to take down at least two, perhaps even one, that might be enough for some of us to escape."

"That's still a one to three match up for us, Iseyer." Spurred on by a warning from our 8'o'clock, I blurred around and repelled back another attempt by one of the two handers, sneaking in a few slices on her armored thigh before retreating back into our slowly rotating defense.

"Whatever we do, you'll need to do it soon. Your stance is slipping, Lady Asasaki."

"Don't need to tell me that, Bael'na." I shifted into something more aggressive, warding off a potential opponent for a few moments. "Once an opening's formed, I'll kick it into overdrive. You'll need to move as quick as possible and try to find someplace more defensible if not escape entirely."

I shot forward and lit up one of the more nimble Fallen Elves, sending them flying back with a Waning moon. Another two enemies approached and while I dealt with them, my allies charged out with roars of their own. A glance let me see two of our Elves remaining in the center to guard the still unconscious Hensel and one of his men, the only survivors of the culling that had broken out during the skirmish.

 _If this keeps up, I'm going to become a statistic._ I let out a quick breath, expelling the negativity. "Hey, uglies! Why don't you start thinking about what your grave markers will say? I'm a generous person, I've already got two of your sisters to honor, a couple more wouldn't be much of an issue." One half of the duo snarled and slapped their weapons against their palm in a promise of pain.

Two enemies, especially of the fodder kind, weren't much of an issue. This being a battle of attrition, I limited myself to basic abilities, slowly moving us closer to Iseyer's fight. The shots I sneaked out on the club wielding elf from before slowly added up, Ein'zo eventually giving up on fighting my Contractee and chasing after me.

Against three weapons, conscious thought was completely in the back. My body moved on autopilot while I worked to figure out their patterns. Dodging, slashing, and in the worst case scenario, blocking. With each impact of my weapon my health slipped away. At fifty percent and well away from the others, instincts took over.

I swung underneath an outstretched arm, finding myself performing a 1990 on the double sided axe wielder's head. Sword jammed through his back, I fell back towards the ground, legs launching him away. I rolled forward, fending off a vertical slash from Longsword. The elf reeled back from an unassisted punch, any chance I had of a follow up shut down by a swing from Club.

Ein'zo, as I recalled, was doing an applaudable job of working with his subordinates. The walk in the park from before had been turned into a sprint through cross fire, his heavy weapon covering their mistakes. Openings I could force with flicks of my wrist had been reduced to barely cracked windows of opportunity, the majority of which required a toll of blood.

The hulking elf levied his weapon towards me, the two «Fallen Elf Hastatus» taking positions beside him. "I will extend the master's offer as well, Swordsman. Lay down your weapon and come with us. Refuse, and we will slaughter you and the rest of your companions."

"Maybe if you offered sanctuary to my allies, then I might consider."

"If that is what you desire, then so be it."

 _Yeah right. Like I would ever work with the enemy._ Sillicatite Dao flashed back into its sheath. I took a single breath, hands moving into a tight boxer's stance.

 _ **Quick and dirty. Leave no chance for rebuttal.**_

Throat, chin, and nose were smoothly introduced to my right knuckles and elbow. A quick sliding pivot underneath his grappled arm and Longsword's right cheek met my left elbow. A push and his right arm became unusable.

Another stepping slide followed by sidekick. I let go of Longsword as Ein'zo's club slammed into him, the elf rolling several feet after the impact sent him flying. I didn't dare let myself think about how much damage that single strike caused compared to the dozens I'd landed previously.

I hopped backwards and rolled slightly forward, jumping up and slicing at the barely audible footsteps that had to have taken my former spot. Fergus' creation sprouted a thin line of red across arms and stomach. An acute angle burst out, perfectly bisected by my initial strike. Instincts honed by thousands of repetitions drew my sword down onto my shoulder, the mental click released with a modified step. Buried deep within Battleaxe, I shoulder checked him in the chest, Silicatite Dao sliding out easily..

My next target met my charge with a feinted thrust, Ein'zo countering my strike with a Diagonal of his own. In the following trio of strikes, I was forced to knock away two of them, the swings heavy enough to furl strands of my hair in their wake.

I was already moving when the warning shiver of the Dodge skill started up. Sharpened metal cut through the upper part of my right sleeve, a quick utterance of thanks at how well some bagginess could hide your true form passing through my mind. A strike from Battleaxe was met with a step and block of my own, the elf's weapon locked by mine. Another elbow to the chin relieved him of his weapon, a dual wielding flourish and retreat buying me enough time to sneak it away into my inventory.

"You know, I think half the stuff in my storage is from people who don't know how to hold onto their weapons." I gestured mockingly with my free hand, pulling open my status window at the same time. _Gear won't hold out much longer. Dao's just about out of juice._ The trio had reorganized themselves into a triangle formation, Ein'zo in the back while Longsword and the weaponless Battleaxe and took a staggered position in front of him. _Skills be damned, a dagger's my best bet._

"What, cat got your tongues?" I traded the NPC made weapon for Stygian Curse, waving the dual sided blade condescendingly. "Don't worry. I'd be more than happy to check if you still have it." An oh so familiar feeling wrapped itself around me, rage and lust woven in equal measures. Saccharine lies dripping from my teeth, "Just come close to me and I can make sure you're not missing a thing."

A wave of energy I'd forgotten about swelled forth when we next engaged. Unused as they were, the morning's bouts had done well to dust off the skills I once had. With Sprint and Acrobatics flaring at every opportunity, I was pulling stunts I'd long thought only possible if I'd pursued my hobbies instead of enlisting.

Attacks were dodged by slowly decreasing margins, the few that I couldn't avoid easily deflected thanks to my comfort in a shorter length. The bubbling fear I had at not being able to get out of here had completely given way to euphoria. Slow though it may be, I knew without a doubt that the three before me would fall.

Battleaxe was the first to dematerialize, the one sided sword he managed to pick up having done no good. I leashed my initial reflexive taunt down, flipping my dagger a few times in its place. "You know, the last time I took one of you guys down, I got called a monster. So how about it? Wanna continue that trend?" The two only stared at me, hands gripping their handles tighter. "No? Then let's get back to it."

With one avenue of assault down, handling the two was significantly easier. Once forced to constantly be aware of my positioning and what kind of openings I had created, now I was able to rain attacks on Longsword with impunity, flowing around Ein'zo's thrusts and vertical swings without pause. The Hastatus became a canvas of short red strokes and dabs, his beleaguered form slouching over more and more with every passing second.

Grabbing hold of his left wrist, I twirled underneath and around, reeling him in. Giving a sweet grin, I jammed Stygian Curse through his stomach. "Thanks for the dance, kiddo." Stepping with him the entire time, my weapon was freed with a shove, a yank pulling the elf into the path of Ein'zo's crashing club. Glee and tiny bit of empathized pain blossomed through my body as the elf shattered into data, the giant club wielding leader grunting as he hefted his weapon back into a ready position. "Were you that desperate to hit me or did you really not care about your kin?"

"There's more fodder where he came from," Ein'zo gruffed out.

"Just means more things to hone my edge on." I rolled my head and body around, ignoring the distinct lack of popping from my joints. "Counter offer: take your subordinate's sword and kill yourself or die to my blade. And trust me, one of those is going to take significantly longer than the other."

«Ein'zo, Fallen Elf Triarius» barreled forward and swiped once at me with his metal plated club, raising his free hand into the air once he steadied himself.

"Don't you dare!" Stygian Curse was flipped into a reverse grip as I charged back at the elf, diving through the air to latch onto something before he could escape. Crystal panels dissipated against my face, the system giving way to my own commands as leapt out of my roll. I snarled, stabbing down at the air beside me. "God fucking damn it! Second fucking time one of those fucks get out like that!"

 _ **Combat zone.**_

I whirled around at the thought, only relaxing my stance when I saw that the last remaining Elf was being piled on by my companions. _That was easy enough._ I gave Stygian Curse one last flip before sheathing it, striding over to the rather fearful Forest Elf guarding Hen'sel and one of the Dark Elves that had gone with him.

"St- stay back!" The elf, Ef'aniel, according to the title above his head, shakily held his curved sword and towards me.

"Oi, I'm a friend, remember?" I planted my hands on my hips and leaned forward. "I was there at the start? Managed to get everybody inside thanks to my Swordsman heritage?" I tapped the side of my head, chuckling when the elf finally settled down enough to stow his weapons. "Now then, the others are doing clean up duty, so let's see about getting our friends potted up!" I clapped my hands together, intertwined fingers pulling open my inventory.

Disappointment greeted me. Behind my screen, four lone figures finished off the last remaining Elf.

I let out a long breath of air. "Completely out of restoratives," I muttered to myself, sitting down beside the still catatonic Hen'sel. "Ah well. At least you're still here, buddy." My lip twitched. Twenty eight strong, and now here we were. Barely two teams worth. The nightmares would- _Stop it._ "Heivaar didn't make it?" I asked the approaching elves, grateful for the distraction.

The two conscious elven leaders stood at the forefront, parts of their armor displaying the signs of breakage. Behind them, Alduin and one of the latter's underlings stood strong, but visible shattered. Iseyer took a moment before he spoke. "He died taking a blow meant for me."

Sardonicism trode over concern, my mind screaming to abort before the words left my mouth. "Yeah, subordinates have a habit of doing that." I looked away the moment an incredulous looked ignited on Iseyer's face. I let a moment pass before looking back up, Bael'na holding nothing but disapproval. "So this is all that's left, huh?" I waved towards our meager numbers.

 _Don't dwell on it. Not yet._

I huffed. "Anybody happen to have an extra weapon on hand? Preferably one that has a bit of a curve to it? Mine need some attention, otherwise they'll break."

"There's some weapons left behind during the battle," Alduin slowly said. "I'm sure," his voice hitched, "their previous owners would appreciate them being used for our escape."

I gave my thanks to the once again shell shocked elf. The moment I put my hand on his shoulder, something in me cracked. I started moving towards the other side of the room, fighting to still my trembling lips. As I stopped to loot the remains, my hand paused. Against the feeble protests of my mind, scattered remnants were collected. "I'll take point getting out of here."

 _Breathe. Tears can come later._

"Don't worry about me." Around my neck the pieces of engraved metal rested, jingling slightly with every weighted step. "I may not have a blunt weapon, but I'm sure my sword arts can do the trick."

It was well over an hour later that the facsimiled light of the moon touched my skin again. Already running on fumes, I drew back on the memories of sleepless postings, clawing away at the seductive whispers to fall asleep where I stood.

One of my legs gave out underneath me mid step. The metal hanging around my neck shook me back awake, my head receiving the same treatment. _Not yet. I need to get back to Klein._ _I need to-_ I reached up and grabbed hold of the near dozen Memento Tags I now carried. Saruya and his two siblings from the third floor. El'zira and her sister from the fourth. And now a full team of Forest and Dark Elves turned Fallen. Parts of the lettering had worn away throughout the ages, but on my person were the last tangible memories of them.

You were never supposed to do this.

I stared up at the false moon, cold stone underneath me.

Humanizing your enemies. That way lay madness.

A weapon whose name I hadn't cared to learn the name of brushed against my leg. Long and slender, it was by numerical design alone that it was classified as a Curved Sword.

Once you saw their face, once you learned their name, once you read their story, ending a life became so incredibly harder. And by some whim, I had gone and added the chapters of so many to my book of life.

The system did me no favors either. Each new tag had a quest attached to them. Somewhere within the floors of Aincrad, a home laid empty. Families no longer had any chance of seeing their loved ones again. Dishes that would never be used. Beds that would never be rested in.

I let out a long breath, feeling the stream of air leave my mouth. Words to describe my situation no longer bubbled forth. In the past few weeks, perhaps even days, I'd felt as if I'd experienced an entire year.

"Lady Asasaki."

I closed my eyes, pretending not to have heard Iseyer.

"Alduin and I will not be returning to the inn tonight. Bael'na and I believe that it would be best if we returned to one of their camps to discuss our future plans." Dirt consciously crunched under his feet, the Sergeant laying a hand on my shoulder. "I will contact you sometime in the afternoon." The silence after felt like an eternity. "Thank you for your assistance, Lady Swordsman. Please, be safe as you return home." He squeezed once, moving away with the dirt shifting beneath his feet. Behind him, two heavy sets of steps followed after.

"Sarge," I kept my eyes closed, the wetness in my eyes coalescing into tears. "Would you be proud of me?"

The solitary patron of the inn, Klein was fast asleep at a table when I returned. I must have gotten into a fight or so; my armor had become damaged to the point of bearing physical damage. The nameless weapon in my hand fared better, though how much durability it had left I had no clue.

No thoughts ran through my mind as I reached up and undid my Forest Elf earring, slipping it between his folded arms. The black wool coat I kept was draped over his back, a quiet appreciation whispered into his ear.

With only a strand of decency pulling my finger through windows, I slipped into bed protected only by my clothes and the boots on my feet.

That night, my dreams gave me no reprieve.

* * *

 _Next chapter will come out_ _ **April 19th**_ _._


	36. Antithesis

_This chapter was originally supposed to go in a much different direct. Asasaki was meant to traverse all on her own up to the 8th floor with Iseyer suggesting she meet up with Sargent Thel'doria. As I was writing, Sora butted his childish lil' head into the picture and refused to let Asasaki have any of her trope demanded brooding time, and as I started approaching the meeting with Iseyer (originally slated to be her declining whatever quest he had to head up to the 8th floor to power grind monsters) the situation called that Iseyer and the others had already thought of this and thus the situation that we have now occurred._

 _Basically a lot of how I ended up writing Duality, actually. I make a basic outline or a few key points and then improv my way through._

* * *

" _ **Those days, it felt as if we were in a losing battle. Victories were few and far between, and when they happened, they were always pyrrhic."**_

 _ **. . .**_

" _ **You know, it's hard being a leader in that situation. What are you supposed to do? How do you manage moral? When everything is going wrong and the pillar of light and support is darkened and crumbling, how are you supposed to keep everybody going?"**_

" _ **..."**_

" _ **Yeah, and where were you two years ago?  
**_

Green metal was backhanded away, its wielder receiving dual slashes for their efforts. Not yet wanting the fight to end, I hopped away several feet, Sillicatite Dao bouncing patiently at my side. As far as mistakes went, this was perhaps among the top ten of my list. Slipping out of my room via window instead of being normal and going through the lobby? I snorted, vaguely registering the irritated look of my opponent. Really, what was I thinking? Talking to people wasn't that hard, and it wasn't as if they wouldn't understand.

 _ **But you would be going against your promise.**_

Glowing metal met reinforced skin once more, a glowing stab deflecting the second hit of their three part One Handed Sword Skill. The third horizontal strike was ducked under, my leg snapping out and catching the Swordsman in the chin. False muscles tightened up before being unleashed. Three system aided strikes juggled him in the air, a perfectly vertical axe kick slamming him into the ground. A manual recreation of «Stone Sheathe» all those floors ago embedded into nothing but dirt, my prey rolling away several times before scrambling to his feet.

"Good. It only took you four times to learn." I tilted to the side to avoid a stab, left palm coiling out to slap against my opponent's face. In a single motion I leapt onto his shoulders. Keeping the momentum going I threw my weight forward, wrenching my body to the side. A single, disorienting rotation that ended with me on my back and him face down. My tan-grey weapon stabbed through his body, retracting just as easily. I rose out of my retreating roll with a flourish, waiting for him to stand back up.

As the seconds started ticking away I began walking around him, holding fast to the bubbling irritance at his inaction."You know if you're done you can just resign. There's no shame in admitting defeat." Frustrated as I was, it wouldn't do to act out of line against other people. Monsters and people trying to kill me were one thing, but in the public eye where decorum was necessary? My standard fighting style brought me enough notoriety as it was; being labeled a sadist was something I didn't need.

Before I could complete a single lap my victory screen popped up. The spoils of war were handed over easily now that the poor sod's confidence had been shattered. Four thousand cor and a single health potion to compensate for my lost hp. Making sure that my posture belied none of my negativity, I made my way to the edge of the arena and sat down, slowly sipping away at the almost painfully bitter concoction.

Four hours had passed since I woke up, and only now was the sun had reaching its zenith. Barring the time needed to eat and restock, I had been dueling my entire day. The numerical experience wasn't as high as I could have gotten hunting down monsters but with Iseyer having requested me to wait for his call, getting lost in the woods with equipment degraded and supplies low wouldn't have done me any good.

And so I had fought. And fought. And fought and fought and fought. Players, NPC's; the challengers had come aplenty at the start, but after I had utterly decimated the sixth person in a row with my usual techniques volunteers had dwindled. It was only after adjusting myself to be less explosive that people were willing to fight me again.

It was so very frustrating though, fighting at this level. Continuing to familiarizing myself with my Skills and becoming more flexible with their usage was never a bad thing, but the people here were nothing more than civilians. They lacked the creativity that only unsanitized, life or death combat could give. The ingenuity, the spontaneity; it was nothing more than Sword Skills or poorly replicated versions of them that came at me. Throws, grapples, kicks: none of what made a fight a fight were used against me. Against other people, sure, but my starting performance had cemented people's fears towards me. As horrid as it was, I found myself missing the Fallen Elves. They, at least, could provide me a challenge.

A half dozen more punching bags came and went by the time I received a notification. Stopping only to repair my gear, I began making my way to the far east of the floor. The gate out of town had only came in sight when someone called out to me.

"Heeeey!" Sora waved a hand happily as he jogged over. "What are you still doing here? I would've thought that somebody of your caliber would've gone up to the eighth floor already."

I eyed him warily, recalling his recruitment attempt the previous day. "I could say the same of you. Aren't you part of the core group of Fūmaningun? You'd think that Shen would want you keeping pace with everybody."

"That's what I'm saying!" Sora crossed his arms petulantly. "Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I can't hold my own! There's plenty of other teens out there on the front lines! I mean, just look at Kirito and Asuna! They can't be older than eighteen and they're fighting all on their own!"

"To be fair, I don't think Kirito and Asuna have anybody to look out for them." I turned away and started walking, not looking to see if the teenager would follow. When movement slowed down in my peripheral, "Count yourself lucky that your uncle's willing to keep you out of harm's way."

"But this is SAO!" He cried. "If I stay safe, then there's no point to even being in here!"

I rolled my eyes and spun around to face him, slowly walking backwards. "Alright, going to need some context here. Why's the Boss of Fūmaningun got you posted on the 7th floor?"

"Because I need more experience fighting people and to perform grunt work by collecting materials."

"And were those his exact words?"

After a moment of grumbling, ""There might come a day when we of Fūmaningun will be required to fight other players. It is better that we gain that knowledge now rather than forced to do so in the heat of the moment. Additionally, the entire guild requires upgrades. Collecting it on our own will help reduce costs, which means we will be able to purchase a guild hall faster.""

The first part was shelved away, wrapped up neatly in rolls of concern I suddenly had. "You guys are planning on purchasing a guild hall?" Glancing behind me, I stepped in front of Sora, letting a returning group of players part around us.

"Yup! We're still trying to save up enough cor for it, but once we find the right building we ought to be able to purchase it right away. You know. After you perform a few small favors."

I mentally groaned at that. Four days of running about trying to locate people; three words should not have that kind of agony attached to them. As I progressed along the road, Sora walked behind me in silence. Upon reaching the treeline surrounding Awass Town, I moved at the side of the road and stared at my follower. "So."

"So?" He parroted.

"Any particular reason you're following me?"

"To find out what sort of stuff the great Demon Nin does in her spare time!" He said shamelessly.

 _Are you there, God? It's me, Dawn. Please don't let me find out I have an organized fan club with weekly meetings._ "Vaguely stalkerish. If you must know, I'm going to complete a quest."

"All on your own?" The kid brought his hands to his mouth, eyes almost twinkling with glee. "That's so awesome!"

"Alright, time out." I tapped my palm against the tips of my right fingers. "This isn't another recruitment drive, is it?"

He faltered.

"Sora, seriously? I thought I told you to drop this whole thing. I'm happily in Fūrinkazan, and nothing will change that." _And that's the truth, isn't it?_

"Okay, fine." The teen crossed his arms once again, looking off to the side and pouting. "But at least let me come along with you! Gramps said you were looking pretty bad last night and that you shouldn't be wandering off alone!"

"Shen was down here?" I frowned. "Last night? And he saw me?" I cupped my chin, trying to recall when I'd met the man.

"Yup! Said he had to bail you out of a couple encounters. You weren't responding to him when he tried to talk to you. Did you guys have a fight?"

 _Well, I guess that explains why I actually woke up this morning instead of falling into a forever sleep._ When I realized Sora was still waiting for a response I coughed lightly. "Let's just say I had a really busy day. I was fighting Exhaustion more than I was anything I came across."

"Even more reason to come along with you!" The kid beamed. "One night of sleep won't get rid of all the effects of Exhaustion. There's still some stuff that lingers around. Trust me, Argo's had her people do a lot of research on the subject."

"Is that first hand information from Argo or has she put out another information book?"

"First hand knowledge. My uncle lets me be there when he or Taro meets with her. I'm usually just standing to the side. Sometimes she asks me questions, but I feel like any time I talk to her I lose like ten different games at once."

"She does have that effect on people." I swapped out Barbed Sabre for Stygian Curse, resting my hand on its butt. "Heads up; now that I've got a companion you'll have to carry us through the fights. I'm relearning some of my skills with a knife and with somebody else to dish out the majority of the damage I can afford to do that on the way."

"Um, Miss Asasaki? You do know I'm a Ranged person, right?" Sora held up two handfuls of throwing darts innocently. Where or when he pulled them out, I had no clue.

"Liar. I saw you fighting with a Curved Blade back during our fights with Mánagarmr."

"But I respecced!" He countered. "I gave up my melee skills for Hide. I'm a scout now, not a combatant!"

"Then scout your way through the fights and deal the biggest blows." I grinned slyly at him. "Trust me a little, yeah? I'll be sure to hold their attention. Unless things go wrong, you won't take a hit."

"Wait, why did you raise a flag like that?" Sora started running to catch up to me, uncaring about the noise he was making. "Miss Asasaki? Miss Asasaki!"

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Hit for hit, the Throwing skill dealt about as much damage as three or four of my basic attacks. A bit low all things considered, but it made up for it in other ways. Similar to the Dagger skin line, it was capable of inflicting a plethora of effects. Paralysis, extended stun, confusion infliction. If even half a team of Throwing users were to gang up on a target, it would end up little more than kicking a dead horse.

For the second time since we'd set out, the two of us sat down to take a break. His stats were geared for burst damage and the amount of fighting we'd done as well as the hard pace I'd set were doing him no favors. I was actually quite fearful for the teen's life any time a monster approached him. Where my Vitality was hovering around half of my level, his was barely a fourth. The leather armor he was sporting didn't help alleviate those fears either.

"Have to admit, this is a little odd though." My status window winked out as I closed my hand, just one of the various hotkeys I'd set up. "People don't normally talk about their stats. Or equipment." I wrinkled my nose. "I almost feel a little gross now that I think about it."

"So does that mean I get to tell people I've seen your privates?" Sora said suggestively.

I immediately folded my arms and stared him down. "Do that and I swear I'll get you MPK'd. Don't think I can't have that conversation with your uncle. Loss is something I'm no stranger to and at his age, I'm sure he isn't either."

Sora raised his hands instantly. "I won't tell, I won't tell! Geeze, you know, for being an adult you sure are quick to drastic measures."

""Respond to things appropriately"," I quoted. "The first time you tried to use me to get yourself some eye candy. This time you threatened to get me seen as a pedophile. I already have enough flak as it is from the other players, I don't need that on my resumé."

We passed the rest of our break with idle conversation, Sora regaling what had to be exaggerated tales of his adventures. I refrained from telling stories of my own, the exploits feeling far too personal to share. The last thing I needed was to trigger that long held off mental breakdown by talking about things.

We were just getting ready to set off when Sora brought a finger to his lips. Knowing far better than to question somebody's suspicions in a hostile environment, I hunched over slightly and swapped to Barbed Sabre, ready to draw it at an instant.

"5'o'clock!" He yelled, a salvo of throwing knifes flying out.

The projectiles impacted against metal of armor and weapons alike, their wielders soundless charging at us. When it hit me that it was a group of Dark Elves engaging us, I quickly ran forward, palms raised. "Cease fire, cease fire!" I cried. "Iseyer asked for me to come here!"

"Liar." The presumed leader of the elves stepped forward, his spear a thrust away fun impaling me. Even as he continued speaking, two of the elves, moderately armored and wielding one handed swords, started inching their way to the sides. "Long distance communication can only be done between Swordsmen, not with the inhabitants of Aincrad."

 _Curse this unique skill of mine._ "Look, I was there last night with Bael'na and Hensel. They told me that when they got a plan together they'd contact me. Well, they contacted me! So help us out and bring us to the camp. The sooner I know what's going on, the sooner I can avenge your brethren." As extra insurance I tucked my hair behind my ear, showing off my earring Klein had left atop my cloak.

«Cael'ri, Forest Elf Sentry» stared me down for a few seconds before grunting. "Step one toe out of line and don't think we won't turn on you. The Forest Elves and Dark Elves may have a truce, but no one here would still their tongue if we said you were lost in an attack."

I carefully said nothing, not wanting to taunt the obviously aggravated elf. Sora carefully joined me at my side, almost starting to ask questions were it not for my soft head shake.

Compared to the encampments I'd seen the first day here, this one was rather sad. The wooden palisade was barely ten feet tall and the tents were a hodgepodge of pelts rather than finely crafted fabrics over wooden frames. I suppose it had something to do with how out of the way this place was, but combined with the people rushing to and fro as well as the assortment of homogeneous groups of fighters resting about, the place was rather disheartening. At least their spirits didn't seem to be drained.

With one last sneer before heading off, "Sergeant Bael'na is in here. Mind your tongue, Swordsman."

"Are all Elves like that?" Sora whispered to me.

"Some of them. The nice ones actually give you quests. Well, most of the nice ones. Sometimes the quest givers are still dicks." My hand had already pushed the tent flap open when my last line came out. I could only hope none of the trio felt I was talking about somebody they knew.

"That was a rather long time for you, Lady Asasaki. Did something go wrong?" Iseyer looked up from the map resting on the table, each of the corners held down by a sheathed weapon.

"Yeah." I jabbed a thumb towards my companion. "I discovered a stowaway too late into my journey. Turns out, he doesn't have the kind of endurance I'm used to." I could feel Sora's unbelieving look burn into me. "Had to take a couple breaks. There was nothing time sensitive though, right?"

"In our situation every hour is an hour extra, but if you you had to take time to recover, you had to take time to recover." Bael'na raised her hands in sufferance and rose from the desk upon which Hensel was writing. "We're sending you up to the Fiend Woods, Lady Swordsman."

"The situation's rather delicate," Iseyer continued. "We can no longer afford to be as insular as we once were. The Fallen Elves care not for our race, only that they achieve their goals. Hensel and Bael'na are finishing up the final document explaining our circumstances. We need you to find the leaders up on the eighth floor and convince them to start working together. Sergeant Thel'doria may have already done some of the work for you, but it will be up to you to finish the job."

"What about you guys?" I walked over to the map they were looking over, a system notification popping up informing me that my map info for the eighth floor had just been updated.

"We will be heading down to the 6th floor," he responded. "We may have driven off the Fallen Elves from the installation here, but that does not mean we've prevented them from utilizing its technology further."

"It's no longer safe for our people." Bael'na sequestered the four rolls of parchment into scroll containers. "Two for each tribe," she explained, holding them out for me. "Iseyer has told us that the Fallen Elf presence in the Valley of Dragons is nonexistent. Far safer down there than above, where combat could erupt at any moment."

I deposited the scrolls into my inventory, tapping open my quest log to view the recorded specifics. _Do they not know about that underground city? Well anyway, only monsters inhabit it now, so they should be fine._

"Once we find a temporary home for them, we'll rejoin you at a later date," she finished.

"Fūrinkazan should still be in Awass Town," I explained. "I'm not sure how they'll feel about it, but with the right wording, you might be able to convince them to escort you back."

"Already planned on it, Lady Asasaki." Iseyer smiled, well aware of his unique ability to craft quests. "You won't be going alone. We're sending Alduin and one of Bael'na's men along with you as envoys. Hopefully they'll be able to add credence to your words. Take a moment to read one of the scrolls when you can. They're all the same, just signed by a different person. If you know what we're sending you out to accomplish, you'll have a better chance to achieve our goal."

Hensel looked away from his conversation with Bael'na, the woman backing away gracefully after whatever had occurred. "You'll find them in the rear of the camp. You were originally meant to go out and gain some experience fighting alongside each other while we finished up, but what's done is done." The Forest Elf leader rose and stretched his arms above his head, several infuriating pops sounding out. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have some more logistics to figure out."

"Take care." I gave a two fingered salute before heading out, not paying any attention to Sora's awed expression. His exclamations came later than I expected, the tent fully behind us by the time he spoke up.

"I can't believe you're actually on the Elven Questline! The front liners were banned from participating it since the inter-guild rivalry on the third floor!"

"A Elven Questline," I corrected, "not The. Important difference. Also, we of Fūrinkazan aren't exactly Front Liners. We've been part of the Boss Fights a handful of times, but we're nowhere near Clearer status."

"That's a lie and you know it," Sora said without hesitation. "If it weren't for you guys exploring the third floor, all that cor could've gone to us." He stamped his foot down, arms folded across his chest. "I could've maxed out my weapon sooner if it wasn't for that!"

"Snooze, ya lose, runt." I gave an indifferent shrug. "Some stuff in here is a limited time offer, like those Hidden Bosses. Speaking of which," Alduin rose when he saw me, a female Dark Elf near him doing the same. "Remind me to ask you about Teotihuacan later on." I raised a hand in greeting as I approached, introducing myself and Sora to the newcomer.

"I am Corporal Fautina." The Dark Elf gave a short bow of her head. "Corporal Alduin and I shall be accompanying you to the Fiend Woods."

"Lady Asasaki and I have met. We go back rather far," Alduin said somberly.

"I don't know if slightly over two weeks counts as far, but it certainly feels that way." I gave a tight smile, the panic at the recollection of exactly how quickly everything had happened quickly silenced. "Are the both of you ready? I'll need to message the others at some point, but otherwise I'm all good to head out."

"We were just waiting for you, Lady Asasaki." Fautina tapped the solitary sword at her side.

Seeing somebody wielding a one hander without a shield was always a bit odd. On the lower floors it was a sign of somebody trying to be cool, while on the upper floors was it a sign of (over) confidence. "Let's get to it then."

"I'm tagging along too, Miss Asasaki!" Sora raised his hand high into the air. "If I go along with you, I'm sure I'll get some valuable experience!"

 _Translation: I can get valuable intel on you and what you're doing. Damn I hate it when people aren't straightforward about things._ "Suit yourself, runt. Just make sure that if you level up you throw all your points into Vitality. We've got messages to deliver and having to take a break every ten minutes or after a fight isn't going to help us." To our new companions, "That was a joke, by the way. It's more like fifteen minutes of a full out Sprint interspaced by at least three fights."

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It was always nice, taking a few minutes to look over a new floor. The Fiend woods were rather similar to the forests of the Third Floor. Tall, imposing. The redwood forests of California on steroids. From what Sora was saying, this region had two main components. The main part was the residential level. Vast, wooden bridges and ladders were spread across nearly ten stories of the floor. At ground level, wide, gushing rivers and streams wove their way around the trunks. Hardy plant life that managed to grow in choked sunlight blanketed the ground, and if you knew what to look for you could find the numerous, isolated cave systems functioning as dungeons containing the bulk of the monsters. With the weather changing with the time of day, we were lucky enough to arrive before late afternoon mist rolled in.

"So where would our dear friends be holed up at?" I asked of the two elves.

"Somewhere along the ground," they answered together. The law stating that they were not allowed to work with living trees extended up to here. While it was possible they'd managed to have the locals create homes for them over the centuries, it was far more likely that they'd created easily rebuildable homes of their own.

"That's a lot of ground to cover," I mused. Revealing my map to the young ninja of my group, "Sora, you know where the portal town is? My map from Iseyer isn't exactly labeled."

"Micorriza Village is just west of the center of the floor." The teen pointed at a trio of trees arranged in an inverted triangle. "By the way, none of the towers here have the normal exterior. They're designed to look like everything else. My uncle said the only way to find them is to go around each tree base along the floor and hope the entrance you find is the right one."

"Sounds awful. Like a needle in a haystack." I pushed off the naturally grown railing, refocusing my mind for the trek ahead. "Relaxation's over. We've got ground to cover."

"If I may ask," Fautina started, "why are we heading to the 'portal town' rather than immediately searching?"

"If we go to the hub of the floor we can start asking questions." I glanced back at Alduin and Fautina. "Well, Sora and I can at least. If you two go in I'm pretty sure people will hound you for a quest or something. I may have accidentally incited a societal norm amongst our people." Said teen's attempt to glean information about the subject was waved away.

As we ended up discovering, Fiend Woods was host to a large amount of flying creatures. From bugs to birds, our travels across the numerous bridges of the floor were rarely safe. At first we spread out and protected Sora while he took shots where he could, but as his ammo started dwindling and the amount of insects pestering us increased, it became a race to reach the safe zone of the Micorriza.

"Just a little bit longer!" I fell back onto my hands, launching out a single heel kick that collided solidly with the underside of the giant «Tyrrious Beetle». My companions ran around me, knocking aside the insects that attempted to knock them over the side.

"There's gotta be a way to reduce these encounters, right?" Sora cried. It was his first time outside Micorriza Village, and any information he had was limited to the location of things. "There's no way this floor is crazy enough to have these encounters going all the time!"

"Maybe in the higher floors that's a thing!" I rushed forward and tackled one of the flying ants gunning for Sora onto the fly. «Summon the Moon» lashed out twice before the monster knocked me off, its attempts to climb atop me thwarted by the butt of Fautina's weapon.

"If I see another insect within the next century, it will be far too soon," she hissed.

"The city's four more bridges away," Sora called out. "We can rest in the giant tree up ahead!"

My hand twitched towards my inventory. Inside lay a fully upgraded glider in perfect condition. The only issue? "What I wouldn't give for some thermal drafts."

Once upon a time I would have leaned against a wall after a run that strenuous. If not from my laboured breathing then for my aching muscles. These days, my mind and digital body had become so used to the bursts of Sprint that it required a full hour of pacing through my Sprint speed and regular running for the beginnings of Exhaustion to set in. "Bless your uncle for figuring out the Run-Sprint pattern. I'm pretty sure the two of us would've been dead meat without that."

Sora wasn't as trained as myself, apparently. Spread eagle on the floor, the teen lazily gave a thumbs up before letting it flumph back down.

"Is this something that all swordsmen have?" Fautina asked. "It was certainly odd when you two would change in speed so often."

"Hey, runt. Handle this question." I lobbed a small pebble at him, smirking when he groaned. "It's called teaching, and it's the best way to learn. If you can explain it to a five year old, that's when you can say you fully know what you're talking about."

The ninja (in training?) sat up and crossed his arms. "Sprint is a skill that players can choose. Most people don't pick it up because it won't work well with what they already have or plan to be, but for those of us like Miss Asasaki and me, Sprint lets us do our job a lot easier."

"And that job is?" I pressed. At the western entrance, a group of players waltzed in, grumbling about low supplies.

"Information gathering, repositioning for optimal attacks, message delivery, evading strikes, anything that people in lower rated armor or with minimal Health might do."

I moved my legs out from underneath me, folding them to the side. "Think of skills as things that augment our natural abilities. Everybody might be able to swing a sword, but with the relevant skill, Curved Blade in my case, a Swordsman can hit harder, make sure it doesn't degrade as quickly, and even use our fabled Sword Skills." I ignored Sora's questioning look. NPC Fautina may be, the AI that surrounded me tended to memorize things I said, and it would save potential problems and questions down the line if the Dark Elf managed to survive long enough. "Well, I think that's enough of a break. We're burning candlelight as it is, we shouldn't dally any longer."

"Candlelight? But it's still daytime."

"You know what I mean, Runt." I reached up and patted his head as I walked past. "Be back in a sec. I think I might be able to save us some trouble." The full player party looked up at me as I approached. "Hey there!" I put on a small smile. "We're new to the floor and don't exactly know the ins and outs of the region. I couldn't help but hear something about repellant from you guys?"

"Wait, did you just come through from the Tower?" A leather wearing male spoke up from the rear of the group. Based on his combed over mohawk and slightly cracking voice, I pegged him as a teen, barely on the cusp of figuring out his identity.

At my admittance to the feat, "Why would you do something like that?" The elder of the two girls gawked at me. With her vibrant and attention grabbing outfit, I wouldn't put it past her to be a Yank in real life.

 _Must be another high school group._ I gave a noncommittal shrug. "Call it part of my playstyle. I'm not exactly part of the front lines, and I feel weird about accessing a place I can't get to on my own. If that means fighting through the Towers before I can use a portal, then so be it."

"The repellent is something that every player needs if they want to travel around this floor safely. Well, safer, anyway." The spindly looking boy that seemed to be the leader of their group slowly said. Each word was measured. "Those insects will still fight you, but it counteracts the invisible effect each kill puts on you. Without it, the mobs will swarm you in bigger numbers until you either die or enter a safe zone. It almost led to a few Monster Player Kills before."

"Huh. And how much does this stuff normally go for?"

"700 cor," he answered immediately.

I pressed my lips together, giving a slow nod instead of letting out a whistle. These days a single monster only gave a few dozen cor, rarely over sixty. Unless you were me and had access to somebody willing to make potions in exchange for raw materials, that much was almost two potions; more if you were getting lower quality. "I'll purchase four from you for 400 each."

"What?! This stuff takes a lot of work to make! We aren't going to sell it for that much, especially when we're low on it as it is!"

I gave comb over a small smirk and shrug. "Understandable. But fair warning, we haven't had a chance to restock or repair our gear since leaving for the Labyrinth from the 7th floor. We've already had to run from several fights and in my group of four, I'm the strongest. Kind of a dangerous situation, for anyone."

"You're blackmailing us." Something about their apparent leader bothered me. Maybe it was the way he held himself, but he seemed to be no stranger to this sort of thing.

"Well, I'm certainly not doing anything such as that, but if that's the way you're interpreting it."

"Six fifty," he stated.

"Nemu!"

The boy shook his head. "If they really did come through the Labyrinth, then they're bound to be low on resources. Stupid as they may be, I don't think any of us could live with ourselves if we found out a half party of players died on the way to Micorriza Village."

It was still fairly expensive, and without knowing the actual price I couldn't be sure if I was getting ripped off or not. But either way, having the repellant would make our lives easier. "Pleasure doing business." When I returned to my group I lobbed a flask to everyone. "Apparently this stuff keeps the bugs away. Unless I just got gypped, should make the rest of the trip a little easier."

"How long does it last?" Sora.

"Twenty minutes according to the system." If I had so inclined, the system would destroy any empty containers after using them. It was normally a good idea, but higher grade bottles apparently had some use to Hilde, as marginal as they were. "Which means we still need to run." I clapped my hands together and smiled. "We're almost there, guys. Just three more bridges."

"Four," Sora corrected quietly.

"You guys take the southern half of the village. Sora and I will take the northern. We'll meet up at the portal itself in an hour. Fautina, I'm sure Alduin already knows this by now, but if any of the Swordsmen start pestering just tell them "I'm sorry, I'm busy right now" or some variation of that. They'll understand."

The Forest Elf in question nodded sagely and turned to his companion. "Think of the Swordsmen as very direct. If you try to be subtle, they might misunderstand, if they even understand in the first place."

Sora waited for the duo to leave before leaning close to me. "Will they be alright?"

"They'll be fine. I'm sure Fautina has experience ordering people around and Alduin's hung around his superior often enough that he knows the drill. C'mon. We've got our own searching to do." In comparison to the other portal towns, Micorriza Village was fairly large. I'm certain it had to do with the design of the place, being a literal network of tree houses, but I still couldn't but be impressed every time I gazed down one of the roads or bridges connecting each section. "I wonder how often they'd have to replace things were this reality," I commented as I flicked the woven handrail. "Through all the wear and tear, it can't be more than half a decade or so, right?"

"And now you just made me scared." Sora huddled up to me, a hand loosely gripping my shirt. If he got any closer I'd put a stop to it, but it seemed he'd set a limit on his own.

"By the way, is your grandfather okay with you hanging out with me?"

The teen hemmed. "I haven't messaged him yet."

"You really ought to." I turned my head to the side and coughed. "Let's split up for now. I'll take the eastern half, you take the west. Make sure you message him, alright! I don't need another person breathing down my neck about stuff." Rubbing the back of my neck, "S'not like I don't need to message a few people either."

Sora gave me a full salute before Sprinting off, people parting before him and shouting a few choice words at his backside.

I shook my head. _Oh the energy of youth._ Searching for leads on the Elven Camps was among the more annoying things I've done in recent history. While there was indeed an elven presence on the ground, nobody knew anything about them other than how once again Kirito and Asuna were gathering Labyrinth related knowledge from the quest line.

Incidentally, it seemed that the Clearers were holding a meeting regarding the next push. Odds of meeting the two children were low, but it was better than wandering about. If nothing else, I could ask some of the members about their last sighting.

"... Intel from Kirito and Asuna hasn't arrived yet, so for the time being we'll just focus on finding the Boss Room."

I quietly closed the door behind me, only a few eyes glancing at me. The gathering was rather small. From the looks of it, it only seemed to be the leaders of a handful of guilds and their second and third in commands as well as a gathering what what I found out to be the representatives of the unaligned players.. Everybody here bore their colors proudly, distinct as their outfits were. Kibaou seemed every bit of a medieval raider; odds and bits of spiked metal covered his body, loose fitting clothing bunching up just above his armor. Lind and his Dragon Knights maintained their European Knight aesthetic of blues and silvers. The other guilds I didn't recognize, but if we were on the field of battle I would have no issues figuring out who was who. Could be trouble in the future, should somebody develop a vendetta.

I only stuck around to get the gist of the situation. The Tower was all the way in the north east; one of the primary rivers in the region flowed around it, and the only way to access it was by maneuvering across the stones. The Field Boss had already been taken care of two days previous, but numerous wild bosses (giant birds and flying insects) still patrolled the area. In addition, while the Labyrinth itself started out with only a single passage, as you went higher the forks became more and more common.

The worst part was that it was very similar to the 5th Floor Tower. Some routes went up multiple levels before another passage could be discovered, if it didn't result in a dead end or merge with a previous route. They'd eliminated most of the routes, but there was still a suspected 20% to go. The contact status effects the wooden golems could apply made traversing a pain, and every weapon aside from Axes degraded quicker against them. From a design aspect, I had to admire whoever came up with it, but as a player stuck in a death game, I held more than a little annoyance at the subject.

1646\. Little more than half an hour to go before I had to meet up with everybody and still nothing to show for my efforts. "Nope, that line of thinking does me no good." I slapped my cheeks twice. Giving up and hoping that the others found something was the lazy choice. Even if what I discovered was only where higher concentration of elves where, I needed to bring back something.

Ten more minutes passed by. What I discovered was promising at first but quickly became disappointing. Early on the clearers had attempted to hunt down the elves for the ingots smelted from their gear, but with their low experience rates, cor drops being nearly a fourth of the local monsters, their gear being firmly rated as 'uncommon', and their spread out congregation being far away from any safe zone, knowledge of their spawning areas had quickly become forgotten.

Frustration began welling within me. While I knew it wasn't my fault and that there were circumstances at play here, the fact was that the amount of failures I'd brought about in such a short time frame were far too high for my liking. A string of victories was desperately needed. If not that then please dear god, bless my unbelieving ass and let there not be any death surrounding me for the rest of the week.

I lost track of how much time had passed before somebody joined me on the carved bench. Despite being cloaked, the fabric was fairly form fitting as it draped across them. Their face was impossible to make out, but their unarmored torso was undeniably feminine.

1708\. It was about time for me to return. With a long drawn out sigh I rolled onto my feet and stood in a single motion.

"Why are you searching for the elves?" A quiet voice asked.

"Hum?" I turned around and stared at the strange, a questioning eyebrow raised.

"The players on the front lines are not allowed to interact with the elves. Why are you searching for them?"

"I've got a message for them," I answered simply. Discretion may have been the better part of valor, but if sharing information meant achieving my goals I held no qualms about it.

"And what would this message be?"

"That things are changing." I tried to catch a glimpse of the woman's face. But whether by system influence or design of the robe, nothing could be seen. "Lines once set in stone must become blurred, lest we all fall to a common enemy."

"How prophetic. But I wonder: do you know what you speak of? Or are you merely repeating what you have been told?"

I gave a small smile. "Would it matter?"

"Perhaps not, I suppose." I barely took three steps before the woman spoke up again. This time, a condemning icon dancing above her head. "Meet me at the bottom of the stairwell for this village at sundown. I am certain I will not need to warn you, but come prepared. The forest can be a rather perilous place."

"The roads are dangerous at night. Sure it's not better to meet tomorrow?"

"If what you have to say is important, the 'morrow may be too late."

I snorted. "Fair enough. Do you have a name, oh mysterious benefactor?"

For the briefest of moment, I saw a sly smile. "You may call me Kizmel, Miss Asasaki."

"You and your companions fight rather well."

"And you fight like, not at all." I slashed my weapon to the side, flinging off imaginary ichor from the monstrous insects staining it.

"My weapons are currently being repaired."

"And yet you managed to get all the way to Micorriza Village? That sounds unlikely."

"Would you believe me if I said that my robe is capable of hiding my presence?"

"You have such equipment?" Fautina stepped forward, staring at our guide intently. "Only high ranking members would have such gear." The Dark Elf stopped in front of Kizmel, scrutinizing the smaller woman. "Either you took that robe off a fallen comrade, or you're a Pagoda Knight."

"It is good to know that knowledge of my unit still exists among my sisters from the other floors." Kizmel reached up and took off her hood, exchanging a handshake with Fautina. "Tell me, is what Miss Asasaki say true?" One of her ears flicked towards Alduin. Whenever the Forest Elf spoke Kizmel seemed to harbor concern, but aside from making sure he was the farthest from her she never acted upon anything.

"Regarding our need to work together?" Fautina glanced over at Alduin. "Were our circumstances not such, I doubt we would be in the same field together."

"And here I was thinking that we'd grown closer together, Miss Fautina." Alduin shook his head teasingly. "Our circumstances speak for themselves though. Truthfully, I've fought against the Fallen Elves far too much to not dare hesitate at the thought of having more allies, regardless of where they come from." His smile faltered slightly. "We may not know when this war will end, but if we don't band together now then when we finally do it will be too late."

"What in the world have you gotten yourself into, Miss Asasaki?" Sora quietly asked.

"Something I wish that I could have avoided," I whispered back.

As night descended upon us, Kizmel continued leading us forward. With the temperature lowering into almost chilly, mist began forming. It wasn't as bad as the system designated title of the Lostlorn Forest (that being "Forest of Wavering Mist"), but the fog was thick enough that we'd completely missed the signature border haze of an instanced zone.

"Miss Kizmel, I hate to be a bother, but are we breaking anytime soon? I'm not meant for continuous fighting and travel."

I stifled a laugh and patted Sora on the shoulder. "Bear with it a little longer, Runt. I'm sure we'll be there soon enough."

"Miss Asasaki is correct. We only have a little more to go." She gave the teen a gentle smile. "If it helps, no monsters should be in this area. Our forces work hard to keep our surroundings clear. No one likes the baying of beasts at their doorstep while they sleep."

As we marched onward a sudden thought came to me, one I was rather disappointed in myself for not having earlier. "One of us is bearing the crest of the Forest Elves." I touched the adornment on my right ear. "And another is 'one of the bitter rivals'. You sure this won't cause any problems?"

Kizmel said nothing for several steps, mulling the thought around. "I admit that it is possible that some problems may arise, but I'm certain that we will be able to overcome them. I have some sway with my kin here. If I tell them that you have a reason to be here, then they will listen."

"Yeah, well they better," I grumbled. "I'm not exactly keen on escaping with Sir Asthmatic over here." An indignant shout from Sora; birdsong to my ears. More time passed. Eventually, Kizmel stopped in the middle of a large, rolling clearing. To the right a stream flowed past. On our left, bushes and other shrubbery coming up to about my chest lined the area. "Why'd we stop here, Kizmel?"

"My siblings in his floor are more attuned to the magical arts than the others," she answered. "Unlike my former station on the third floor that has a spell to repel unwanted guests, this camp has a true illusion woven over it."

"Is it wise to be telling us this?" Alduin asked.

"Perhaps not." Kizmel reached into her cloak. A part of me tensed at the action, but considering she seemed to have found kinship in Fautina those nerves were easily quelled. "But if we are to work together then some measures of goodwill must be shown." The formerly weaponless Dark Elf held aloft a somewhat ornate dagger. Curved in both directions like an elongated S, the patter adorning it brought to mind a cloud being rushed along the sky.

A single second ticked past. A tingle unlike that of my speed enhancements washed through my body, and suddenly a wall of wooden spikes was there. Two armored guards with halberds watched us from the gates, nodding slightly at whatever Kizmel told them.

At her gesture, the four of us moved forward. My hand twitched towards my since equipped Barbed Sabre as we passed the sentries, but nothing occurred other than the tightening of their grips.

I wasn't sure why I was expecting the Dark Elf base to look different. Barring the obvious deviations of decor, the camp was designed with circles in mind. The center held the main tent, and the surrounding structures were sectioned off into ringed quadrants, exactly like the previous camps.

"Inside here." Kizmel batted her hand against the flap twice before slipping inside.

"Thank you again for your help, Swordsmen. I know resource collection isn't the most glamorous work, but with both the Fallen Elves and Forest Elves keeping to themselves, there isn't much we can do." The presumed leader of this floor's Dark Elves looked away from two familiar people, her eyes flicking over us before settling onto Kizmel.

"Lady Kizmel. I trust your journey was safe?"

"Indeed it was, Captain Eramen. It was thanks to these four that I was able to arrive without any troubles." The woman stepped to the side and gestured towards us with her arm. "Miss Asasaki, Sir Sora, Corporal Fautina from the Forgotten Forest on the 7th floor, and Corporal Alduin from the Lostlorn Forest on the 3rd."

The captain stared at the four of us, her gaze lingering on Alduin and myself. "And perhaps you could explain why you felt it wise to bring a Forest Elf and his associate into our camp?"

"I have reason to believe they know why their kin and the Fallen Elves have been so quiet the past week."

Eramen stared at us expectantly. A nod of my head sent Alduin stepping up. "The Fallen Elves are preparing to wage an assault on the Obsidian Palace," he spoke.

"Yes, we know." Short and succinct. If I wasn't on the receiving end of her budding hostility, I would have loved this woman.

"The leaders from both tribes of the Forgotten Forest feel it necessary for us to work together for the time being, so that we may deal with this threat." Fautina brought forth her copies, holding them out for Eramen to take.

The Forest Elf read through the scrolls quickly, eyes flicking between the two to compare them. After moment she rolled them back up and returned them to Fautina. "Thank you for your efforts, but I must deny this alliance. The Dark Elves have kept themselves safe from the Fallen Elves ever since their conception. The knowledge that they are preparing for battle will not change this."

"Yeah? And I suppose you have some hefty stockpiles of crystals, right?" All eyes focused on me.

"You mean healing crystals?" Kirito inquired.

"Healing crystals, curatives, teleport crystals, you name it." I stared back at the teen, glad that somebody was catching on.

"Crystals or not, if the Fallen Elves are intending to assault the home of our Queen it is something that we will deal with on our own." The woman shook her head minutely. "In light of your assistance to Lady Kizmel, you are free to spend the night here but by sunrise you must be on your way."

Alduin suddenly started speaking, cutting off my protests. "I see. That's a bit of a shame, but thank you for hearing us out, Lady Eramen. I do wish there was a way to convince you however."

"If it is not us, the rank and file of the Dark Elves that fight back the Fallen Elves, then it will be the Pagoda Knights. Between the our two forces, not a single Fallen Elf will reach their goal." Eramen's confidence was a little inspiring. A shame though, that I doubted she'd fought against the Fallen like we have.

 _Hold up, why did Kirito just nod?_

"Kizmel, you are familiar with our camp, are you not?" When the woman nodded, "Please show them to one of our storage tents and acquire them supplies."

"Yes, Captain." Executing a swift bow, Kizmel led the four of us back out. If Eramen started speaking again, it wasn't until the flap had closed behind me. "I apologize that your goal was not accomplished, Swordsmen," she whispered. Directing a few resting soldiers to fetch some sleeping supplies, she brought us to one of the tents in the rear of the camp. "It's not much, and you'll need to move things around, but it's shelter at the very least." A pause. "Have you eaten yet?"

Answering for our group, "I have some rations, but if it wouldn't be any trouble that would be greatly appreciated."

"I will be back shortly." Kizmel gave me a sad smile before departing.

"Well that was a bust." Sora plopped down onto one of the crates, chin resting in his hands.

"Perhaps so," Alduin said mischievously.

I raised a brow at the Forest Elf, part of his glee infecting me. "Alduin, I may not know you that well, but I know a secret when I see one."

"Apologies, Lady Asasaki, but this secret you will have to wonder at for longer."

"Well that's no fun." I grunted as I began move some crates around. The things weren't that heavy, but there was a lot and with my smaller frame getting the ones from the top wasn't very easy. At least until Fautina and Alduin started helping out.

"Not even a hint, Mister Alduin?"

"It wouldn't do to get your hopes up," the elf replied to Sora.

By the time we'd created a few makeshift rooms for some privacy, Kizmel had returned, the group of Dark Elves she had directed earlier carrying a few bundles of furs and blankets. The woman herself was carrying a tray of covered dishes, placing them atop a grouping of crates we'd organized into a large table. Motioning towards some crates two rows high, "Over there will be fine, thank you."

As the group of Elves left, I overheard their grumblings of why a Forest Elf was allowed within their camp. A rather subdued response, but I suppose inherited hatred wasn't always kept fastidiously.

"Captain Eramen is not the most open minded of people," Kizmel started.

The reflexive retort I wanted to give was shoved down alongside a heaping of fairly soupy oatmeal.

"Between her age and her rank, the Forest Elves of this region almost religiously obey her words."

I swallowed down my spoonful, suddenly remembering where I had seen Kizmel before. "You're from Tidal Canyon, aren't you?"

"Forests of Wavering Mist, actually. But yes, we did meet in passing there too. Viscount Yofilis was there as well."

"How is the old guy, anyway?"

Alduin and Fautina choked and gaped at me respectively.

"Rather well," she answered with amusement. "He remains on the fourth floor, trusting those in charge of the regions above him to take handle their situations."

"And have they?" I pressed.

"As well as they could." Kizmel tucked one of her bangs behind her ear. "Please, eat. The food they prepared today is not very palatable when cold."

I wasn't sure whether she wanted time to think about things, but her words held truth. The longer I took to finish my "soup", the harder it was to enjoy.

Partway through his meal, Alduin placed his meal down. "No offense meant, Lady Kizmel-"

"Please, just Kizmel is fine."

"-but why are you still here?"

"I wish to hear you out. My time with Kirito and Asuna have taught me that Swordsmen tend to be more knowledgeable than us, and that barring a few choice people, the goals they work towards have merit to them. If you are here with the belief that working together is for our benefit, then it is in our best interests to do so."

I shared a look with Alduin and Fautina. "Give her one of the scrolls."

Fautina rose and held out the case decorated with Dark Elf motifs. As Kizmel read through the parchment, her expression slowly became more and more despondent. At last, she rolled the briefing back up and placed it back into its case. "And the other scroll is the same?"

"The very same," Alduin confirmed, "except with Captain Hensel's signature instead of Sergeant Bael'na's."

"And you truly believe that they will strike at us here?"

"Whatever it takes to reduce the potential aid the Obsidian Palace might receive," Fautina answered. "According to Sergeant Iseyer who's accompanied Miss Asasaki through the floors, the Fallen Elves have been eliminating the Forest Elf forces throughout Castle Aincrad. It is only recently on the seventh floor that they stuck at the Dark Elves as well, though Iseyer and his companions have no confirmation of the Dark Elf presence on the lower floors."

"Killing or using for rituals, I'm sure one of those things will occur," I muttered darkly.

Kizmel closed her eyes, her heavy breathing leveling out. Several moments passed and with her mental state under control, "I'll do what I can. At the very least, I can convince a dozen or so of my comrades to work with us. They've fought alongside my companions and me and will likely believe me when I tell them of the situation."

"Whatever you can do, Kizmel." Alduin gave a short bow of his head. "The last thing we need-" the Forest Elf stopped and stared at the ground, one of his hands tightening into a fist. "The last thing we need is another massacre on our hands."

The four of us sat in silence after Kizmel left, each of us lost in our own thoughts. When Sora looked up, I had no doubts he would say something to alleviate the situation. "Mission accomplished?"

"We shall see, young Sora." Fautina gave a melancholic smile. "We shall see.

* * *

 _Next chapter should be out_ _ **May 17th**_ _._


	37. Volta do Mar

_I ended up really dragging my feet on this one; it got to the point where I began becoming overly critical of it, to the extent that I started wanting nothing to do with it. Bull headed stubbornness eventually prevailed though, and so here we are. Apologies for the delay._

* * *

" _ **Have you ever been on the sea? It's an amazing experience. The tang of the salty air, the wind blowing in your face; I have a lot of respect for people who can read the wind and waters well enough to pilot back to land in bad weather."**_

" _ **...s this in re... t… ...our own ex...ces with ...?"**_

" _ **Mm, no. At least I don't think so. What, do you think this has some sort of deeper meaning to it?"**_

" _ **Ever… ...es."**_

No matter hard hard I ran, that overbearing sensation of oppression weighed down on me. Each pump of my fist, every turn, every puff of air; the dread continued looming over me. Soon I could hear my heart pulsing, pounding in my ears. Flames illuminated the way forward as quickly as they died, flickering barely enough to hint at the forms hiding in the shadows.

My foot caught on something that I was sure wasn't there before. My face slammed into the ground. A cold chill ran up my spine. The malignant aura grew stronger and stronger. When at last it finally surrounded me, and I was certain that it would consume me, it winked out of existence, leaving me alone in the dimming silence.

Three different sets of breathing sounded around me. It took me several moments to realize what had happened, and when the thoughts finally connected I let out a breathless laugh. Apparently at some point during the night I'd pulled my blanket over my head and in my attempts to break free of the covering I'd wound the fabric tighter and tighter around myself until I was completely cocooned.

0515, on the dot. The unneeded, rhythmical chime in my ears was turned off, my finger hovering over the option to remove the alarm. One bad experience wouldn't turn me away from keeping to my habits though, and with my window closed and blankets quickly folded away I began what I could of my morning workout.

Fautina woke up halfway through my sit ups, grumbling something about finding something to wash her face as she stumbled outside.

Next was Alduin, who had moved into a meditative trance after organizing his bedsheets. It took until almost the end of my calisthenics for him to complete whatever he was intending, and with a promise to come back with breakfast, I was left with a still snoring Sora.

I started down at him, stretching out my fingers. _Seeing him like this, I almost wanna say he's completely forgotten we don't belong here._

The teen grumbled as he rolled his head the other way, left hand folding over his stomach. Blankets tousled as they were, Sora gave off the impression that we were out camping in the woods instead of resting in the base of barely hostile hosts.

"I still have trouble believing that your people felt mere children would make for acceptable fighters," Fautina whispered beside me, significantly more awake now that she had freshened up.

"There's an entire story behind our appearance here, but to put it shortly, their guardians were not entirely aware of the risks." I considered waking up Sora my usual way, that of covered airways, but I wasn't entirely sure how my elven companions would react. "Oi, Runt." I nudged the teen with the ball of my foot, waiting a few moments between nudges. "We've got breakfast ready, it's about time for us to head out."

"Five more minutes, Mom," he groaned.

I pressed my lips together, the corners twitching into a despondent smile. "You get a pass this time." I eventually settled for sprinkling some water from one of my waterskins on his face. He wasn't very appreciative of it, but the complaints were quickly forgotten when I pointed out Alduin and his selection of recently made trail mix.

"Trying to find the Forest Elf camp isn't going to be very fun," I said between bites. "We'll have to pick our battles carefully if we don't want to be forced to return back to Micorriza early."

"If we wander enough we may end up being found instead of finding." Alduin wiped his mouth clean on the back of his thumb. "I'm uncertain if my kin have been eradicated already, but if they are still alive then it is likely they still have their war birds scouting the area. Sergeant Thel'doria will likely hear of my presence here and will assuredly reach out to contact me."

"Sounds like a plan then." I crunched through another handful of the mix, internally complaining about the gamey texture of the salted meat. "Sora, your uncle ever respond?"

"Oh!" The teen jumped slightly. "He says that I should help you out as best as I can and learn as much as possible. He also said that he'll pick me up in the afternoon, if we don't drop by Micorriza before then."

"It's good that at least one of your guardians care for you," Fautina commented.

I couldn't hear Sora's muttered response properly, but it sounded something along the lines of "wanting a little less caring". When we finished our last checks on our gear and borrowed items returned, our group set off in the morning mist, dew coated foliage collecting on our shoes and legs.

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I stared down at my blade, watching the green ichor of the «Turbulent Diptera» fade away into nothingness. According to what somebody from Sora's guild had told him, if you had extra vials laying about you could actually collect the remnants and sell them at a premium to the potion makers. Unfortunately, even the thought of having the slimy, viscous goo in my inventory sent shivers down my spine, so much that I didn't dare speak up about the several dozen empty containers I had tucked away.

"You alright, Lady Asasaki?"

I sniffed and flicked my blade to the side before sheathing it. "Bugs of that sort and of that size creep me out," I explained, suppressing another shiver. "Something about how there's very little change from their tiny, smaller than a digit size compared to their massive, big enough to cleanly bite your head off variant just screams "wrong" to me."

"I see." Alduin looked up into the trees. Down here on the floor, the «Bug Repellent» that was so helpful to use on the bridges held no effect. Bugs didn't home in on us like shoppers at a bargain sale, instead only assaulting us if we happened to cross paths. "Put that way, I can see why you have trouble with the creatures."

"A little pathetic, isn't it? Everything I've done and it's some giant insects that give me pause." I laughed in self-depreciation. Suddenly, my companions moved into defensive positions. First, Sora. A split second later the two elves stepped forward. Having learned to trust their sense, I moved into the center of our Y formation, waiting for our assailants to arrive.

When Kirito came into view, ninja running as fast as he could (which was about the level of a jog when I was using Sprint) I dropped my stance and waved. "What's up, Blackie?" I called out when he slowed down. The thought to be amazed at his lung capacity momentarily came over me, thrown away when I remembered that in place of heavy breathing, one would instead feel more and more sluggish.

"Then we shall accept," Fautina answered to something

"Time," I moved my hands into the relevant position, realized I'd missed something yet again. "Why don't you tune us in to what exactly that'll entail?" _Shit. Wait, roll with it._

As if I hadn't missed anything, "We'll be standing guard for the camp and waiting for the Fallen Elves to arrive."

"They've never operated like that before." Alduin folded his arms and looked towards me.

"Are there other reinforcements heading to the camp?" I questioned. When Kirito affirmed my suspicions, "Well there we go. More bodies in one area, the less work they have to do later on."

"But why wouldn't the Forest Elves just flee?"

"A lot of the camps they have here have been set up for centuries," Kirito told Sora. "It doesn't help that the Forest Elves are very proud about their martial abilities. To them, retreating from enemies they've fought off time and time again is insane."

I sighed and rubbed my head. "Oi, Runt. This is going to be a really tough fight. Akin to fighting the Boss Monsters of the floors and Towers. You sure you're up for it?"

Sora held my gaze for a moment before nodding resolutely. "I am. Besides," he said sheepishly, "being with you is the safer option. I might have more endurance now, but there's no way I'll be able to get back to Micorizza on my own."

"Yeah, yeah that's true. Just," I placed a hand on his shoulder, unsure of what I could say to prepare him for what lay ahead. Boss battles were one thing; giant creatures filled to the brim with health with patterns and openings that took time to recognize, but the Fallen Elves? They were still human shaped. They would cry and scream and yell and when you killed one of their comrades they would fight harder to avenge them. That vague humanity also let them be smart about their attacks. "Just be careful not to get too close to anybody, alright?"

Whether my concern went through or Sora thought something else, the teen took a moment before nodding. "Yeah. Of course, I'm a Ranger. Not a close combatant." He gave a toothy grin.

"We should continue on. Asuna and Kizmel can join us if we keep to a walk." Kirito set off at a leisurely pace, taking point point for our group.

A few minutes later, as the temperature started to rise into something more comfortable, Sora spoke up to fill the silence. "So, Mr. Kirito-"

"Just, Kirito," the boy in question interrupted.

Sora shifted slightly. His expressions weren't quite hero worship, but I could sense the adoration all the same. "What's like being on the front lines? With just you and Miss Asuna?"

My eye twitched at his question. Thankfully Kirito didn't catch the same meaning I did, or had merely chosen to ignore it.

"It's fun," he hesitated. "There's a lot of stuff that we can do that we wouldn't be able to if we were tied down to a guild. Since it's just the two of us and we're important parts of the clearers, there's not a lot of fuss for us to do specific stuff. We can go clear out whatever dungeon we want, we can sleep whenever we need to instead of keeping to a schedule. Basically aside from leveling and questing, we're free to do anything."

"That sounds amazing," Sora gushed.

I harrumphed. "But that also means they don't have anybody to watch their backs, which means a lot of stress if they get stuck out in the field and there's not a safe zone."

"Yeah, that is true, but that's why we make sure to stay on shifts if we have to take a break somewhere dangerous."

 _Dammit Kirito, I'm trying to convince him that having allies are important._ I met Alduin's gaze, gesturing towards Sora with my eyes.

"Truthfully, the best grouping is a three man," the elf followed up. With that you can easily cover a lot of ground and should somebody fall you have two others who can work together to get them out of trouble, instead of one person shouldering the burden."

"That's what's so nice about having Kizmel with us these days."

"She's that Dark Elf that's working with you two, right?" Sora asked.

"That's right. We met her back on the third floor. She's part of the Elven Questline."

I faltered mid step, waving off the concerns of my companions. _Please don't break any sort of coding._

"Oh?" A grin just shy of perverted overtook Sora's face. "Maybe if I do it once the ban's been lifted I could get a companion of my own."

"I don't think that's how it works," Kirito responded lamely.

I gave out another sigh. Annoying as it was, Sora saved me from a potentially threatening conversation. The teen from Fūmaningun continued to bless me by staying quiet for the next several minutes. With not even a single monster approaching us I partially expected him to start playing "I Spy", but based on his mannerisms he seemed to be lost in his own little world. When Asuna and Kizmel joined us they (or rather one specific person) had immediately berated our pace. With our numbers now seven strong, we were able to move at quicker speeds, making swift work of anything that came our way.

{ } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { } - { }

"Halt! Who goes there?!"

I patted Kirito on the shoulder, nudging him forward. "Show time, kiddo."

From what I could gleam off the body language alone, the Dark Elves had no problems letting the known Kirito and Asuna inside thanks to their closeness with Kizmel (and likely whatever work they've done on the floor). Concerning my party, connections and vouching aside, they seemed to take great offense to letting a Forest Elf within. It wasn't all that bad a problem though. Considering we'd gone perhaps a three fourths hour hard march west, I felt confident in saying that the Forest Elf presence had to be stronger in this direction (if they were even still alive).

"So tell me doc, how bad is it?" I asked dramatically. "Tell me we've got a chance."

Giving me an odd look, "You're going to have people watching you at all times, but they're fine with letting you guys in."

I raised a brow at Asuna, silencing my concern over whether or not a few people would be able to stop our group of four, two of which boasted the Sprint skill.

Ever the helpful one, Alduin asked yet another question. "Do we know when they should be attacking?"

Kirito shook his head. "The message only said sometime today. That could mean in the morning, it could be in the afternoon."

 _It could mean a late night affair after the stress has come and gone and we're no longer expecting it._ I clicked my tongue. "Guess we better settle in then."

Functional, not fashionable, best described this camp. It seemed built to last a long time, fully made from whatever wood had been acquired and subsequently worked into the necessary shapes. The coverings were a mix of hides and what had to be waterproofed fabric, and there were even a few brick based buildings here and there. Truthfully, this seemed more like an outpost than a camp.

"It's kind of uncomfortable," Sora whispered.

I leaned closer to him. "What is?"

"All the staring."

Maybe it was just the hormones or a yet beaten out self awareness, but the attention the armed Dark Elves were giving us wasn't all that bad. Sure, nearly every single one of them was staring at Alduin and me intensely (some almost glowering), but it just meant the impression we gave would be all the more impactful. "Just ignore it," I told him. "Be your usual, loud, noisy, boisterous self and they'll leave you alone."

Like the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, Kirito guided us through the camp, the Forest Elves stopping what they were doing to gawk at us. With every step I held myself prouder, a complete inversion of Sora who was taking every stare like a raised hand.

"Don't take anything she says seriously. She's a bit strong, but she means well." Asuna held the flap open for us, Kirito and Kizmel entering first.

When I entered Kizmel was setting up a partition, stepping behind it and speaking softly. According to Kirito, the sergeant in command was still sleeping and needed to dress appropriately.

Hushed whispers drifted from behind the slated divider. In short order the leader of the camp stepped out, a frustrating beauty to her features despite having only woken a few minutes ago. "Why is there a Forest Elf and his plaything in my room?" she asked after a moment.

 _I feel like I should be extremely offended. Shall I be offended?_ I took in a deep breath, preparing myself to put the bitch in her place.

"We brought them here, Lieutenant Eferia." Whether he saw my facial expression or not, Kirito stepped forward, a confidence to his stance that said he had done this before. "They've come from the lower floors and have experience fighting against the Fallen Elves."

"Pah! And so what? Am I supposed to recognize their 'experience' simply because they're here?" The woman put the partition away and cleaned up her couch turned bed before lounging lazily upon it. "We Forest Elves have fought back our enemies time and time again. The fears of a few outsiders cannot change that, especially when they themselves have never won against us."

"Pride cometh before the fall," I uttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Pride cometh before the fall." I folded my arms and raised a brow. "It's nice and impressive that you're that confident in you and your troops, but when somebody's travelled across four different regions, you better sit your ass down and at the very least entertain their concerns."

Eferia gestured broadly around the room. "And what exactly do you think this is, Swordsman? It's certainly not me waving them off." The woman sat up, glaring at me. "You come in here and wake me up without even explaining yourselves and start berating me for the trust in my troops? Come off that gilded throne of yours and remember where you are, Human."

"What my companion means to say, Lieutenant Eferia, is that extra hands can never be a bad thing."

I glanced at Alduin. That he was willing to roll over and take her insults so easily was mind blowing.

Eferia hummed scornfully, steepling her index fingers together. "And so why exactly are you here?"

"We've received word that the Fallen Elves plan on attacking this camp sometime today," Kizmel answered from the side, looking more attendant than whatever position she held to allow free travel among the floors.

The lieutenant shrugged. "So we'll increase the watches and patrols. Have those resting keep their weapons on hand."

"You haven't heard, have you, Lieutenant?"

"One of your proud and mighty camps was wiped off the face of the earth," I finished for Kirito. "So if you haven't gotten some contingency plans set in place, you might want to get those ready," I jabbed.

"Any plan my unit makes will have you firmly at the front, Human. Perhaps sharpening your weapon against foes will temper that insolence of yours."

Kirito cleared his throat, seeming a little uncomfortable with the situation. "Is there anything you'd like for us to do in the meantime, Lieutenant Eferia? We were asked by Captain Eramen to assist you."

Pointing to the original three, "You can rest up for the time being. I'm sure your trip was arduous. As for you four," the woman turned her gaze onto me, passing her judgment onto Fautina by what was likely guilt by association. "Find Corporal Geriam and tell him I sent you to assist him. He'll sort you out."

Geriam turned out to be significantly more friendly than Eferia, even if his voice held disdain and contempt for us. At the very least he wasn't degrading us, though I suppose the solo work of setting up caltrops and anti-calvary defenses (were there even mounts here?) was meant to do that in his place.

I rose from my crouch and surveyed my work, ignoring the eyes of our minders. Trap work was a little foreign to me, but I'd dealt with them enough that I had a basic understanding of how to place them. Four fields of partially hidden caltrops, each set in a way that together would significantly hamper any direct approach to the walls. I'd covered more ground than the others, but that was only because of how much effort was required.

Annoying me to no end, it turned out that Sora had a higher strength stat than me. Alongside the elves, the trio worked hard pounding logs into the ground. Once they were a significant depth into the ground, Alduin or Fautina would break out their sword and carve away the exposed end into a spike, repeating the process until there were four of the deterrents arranged in a semi-circle pattern. Together with my spike fields, the main entrance into the camp was well defended. At this point we were making a more sporadic covering of the surroundings, using the natural barriers of the surprisingly thick foliage to our advantage.

It was early afternoon by the time we'd completed our assignment and rejoined the others for lunch. I myself had only stopped once and that was for the break Sora had called. Kirito and his group had kept busy on the inside, asking around and figuring out the general plan should the Fallen actually attack. They would be taking point for the battle, wading through the fodder while they tried to seek out the leaders. It took a lot of convincing, but they were able to keep us away from point as well.

"You were a lot better when you could act on your own rather than defender," Kirito explained from across the table. "And your group seems to reflect that." A very pointed gesture was given to Sora.

As everyone started talking about our builds, I rolled onto my back, staring up at the sky. The branches were fairly dense, but enough blue peeked through to show that it was very clearly day.

My companions continued to prattle on, my attention flitting from whatever caught my attention. First was trying to figure out where bird song was meant to be coming from, then I began tracking the small groupings of insects passing through the air. Eventually butterflies began flitting back and forth in my vision. It was odd that such a small detail would be included for this area, but my concern was sated when I realized that the things were the Dark Elves' messengers rather than decor.

 _You know what? Even if it is ground, I've got grass underneath me._ "If I fall asleep, leave me be," I said. Talk of specs, numbers, and the last quest boss Kirito and Asuna had faced lulled me into slumber, the moment when I had slipped into the land of dreams completely unnoticed.

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"Shore up those defenses! Don't let a single one pass through!"

Arrows whipped past me in spurts. At the start they'd come down like a flock of birds, but once our forces broke through that unity had become a survivalist mentality. Archers fired where they could, but as we hunted each one down the panic slowly spread until the only weapons alive were ones that brought you face to face.

Blood splashed onto my face; just another mark I'd have to deal with once the battle was over. My infamy parted those around me far better than my blades could. Once my techniques were noticed, the enemy fled like chaff in the wind. Unfortunate for them that my location on the field would ferry them directly into the hands of my allies.

I reached up and grabbed hold of a blade that dared strike me, pulling its wielder closer and thrusting my dagger through their pitiful armor. Once I would have given them parting words, now I merely yanked my weapon out and tossed them to the side.

Killing had gotten easier over the years. Nights were a terror, but each battle, each conquest; with our forces assimilating the survivors, the only time I could ever find somebody approaching my skill was back home.

Approaching the enemy commander was done with the gait of strolling through the park. Birds fled before me, bees flitted about flowers, runners jogged past me in both directions.

The man fell down as I neared, crawling back and sputtering unheard plea's.

Biting into flesh was always an interesting sensation. The resistance was so different from cutting meat. If you entered wrong bone would jostle your blade, but with the right angle it slid in as easily it did a gourd. A moving target didn't help matters, but years of experience put me on par with a butcher.

Done right, death would occur within seconds. Failed, and one might find them self bleeding out over the course of hours. Without medical care, you would be distinctly aware of your situation, going from panic, to acceptance, to cold and fear, and finally tiredness. Which was why when I felt an odd sensation across my neck, I surged to my feet and did my best to make sure I at least injured my attacker.

Surprised at my reaction, my lunge forward exposed their throat, a knuckle punch aimed for their throat connecting against a jaw instead. With my last breaths I worked my way through their senses. Cupped hands slammed over their ears. Thumbs tucked at the side of my fists slammed into squishy sacs of liquid.

A battle cry reached my ears. With my body still moving and no gasps for air coming forth, I reached down and pulled out a blade longer than I remembered. The movements came easily though, and soon enough the dark skinned warrior was dropped. When air continued flowing without any problems I reached up to my neck. No blood was on my gloved hand, and a familiar scream drew my attention back to my assailant that was most assuredly not dead.

Memories not mine came back in waves, and with each new pulse the ease with which I handled the elf increased. Moments later the foe fell for real, her companion calling out with trepidation before screaming at me. Six stabs later and the elf joined her comrade, purple smoke listing to the sky.

 _When had reinforcements arrived?_

I looked around the camp, watching blades clash and streaks of lights flare. The presence of Dark Elves was slightly more than the their purple skinned assailants, but the disparity in skill made up for it.

 _ **You're not dreaming anymore.**_

I stared down at the blade in my hand. Long and slender with a slight curve to it, the back was serrated; good for carving through flesh but catching on bone and edges.

 _Oh._

Instincts knocked aside a strike, a sword skill flashing out. I reached out and grabbed hold of their helm, bringing their head to my knee twice before launching them away with an enhanced side kick. "Once upon a time people died to a single stroke." I strode closer, Barbed Sabre tapping to a silent beat. The Fallen Elf snarled and charged at me. "I guess demoralizing people works too, though." A few strikes managed to graze my skin, but their efforts were in vain. A quick potion later, all the damage had fully been recovered.

 _This all feels so hollow._ Methodically I worked my way through the camp, swapping between my three weapons to keep them as fresh as possible. Monsters that targeted only me received Barbed Sabre and Silicatite Dao for their efforts. Those that refused to leave their prey were gifted with Stygian Curse, its tip biting and tearing through every opening I made.

"Human! Get your ass over here! We've got enemies from behind!" Eferia threw a body through a breach in the wall, roar and poleaxe following after.

I ran past mounds of smoking corpses, locking away the revulsion for a future I'd never approach. Creatures turned ashen purple and sprouting miasmic black crystals rampaged all around us. Slender cats, hulking spiders, and all manner of insects writhed about, a few bearing riders.

"Use that speed of yours to do something, dammit!" Eferia lanced through a husky sized ant, slamming its squirming body across several more insects before driving the axehead through its thorax.

As chaotic as everything was, there were three leaders that kept a spiraling pattern in their movements, always keeping their two companions within an equal distance. _Too far away. Focus on what's nearby._

Five steps. Two to get Sprint started, three to build up speed. Metal armor received the soles of my boots. In one clean motion I whirled the rider around and straddled him, stabbing through the openings of his helmet. Forced criticals and DoTs aside, even if I didn't deal much damage I had no doubt this one's last moments would be unseen strikes carving away his health.

The battle cry of Eferia soared through the air, her weapon arcing through the air in a painfully familiar manner. Metal plunged deep into the Fallen Elf, a small circle of dust billowing away upon impact.

"Enjoy your meal," I joked. I tossed my dagger into my left hand as I slipped away, wrapping my right around a corrupted jaguar's neck and kicking its unique rider off. Another set of eyes turned worthless, I launched myself off the ruined beast. Perhaps leaving it in a blinded state would cause problems, but the Fallen Elves were thrice the danger any modified beast could have.

"I've heard of you." The Elf knocked aside one of the Forest Elves that tried to attack, bright blue flaring as he stabbed down and twisted. Crystalized data rose with the Praetor, giving him a magical quality. "A swordsman that doesn't know how to quit. You've been a thorn in our side since Lostlorn Forest."

"S'not my fault you guys casually eradicate entire regions." Sillicatite Dao replaced Stygian Curse. Above the Praetor's head, another name was added.

"The offer still remains, Asasaki," Kal'erza said. "Come with us and we will not harm you."

"And what about the others? Can you promise them asylum as well?" Maybe it was the system that made everybody keep a wide berth around us. Or maybe it was an instinctual knowledge that if two enemies had the presence of mind to talk during combat, approaching them would be suicidal.

"I am afraid that would be impossible." The Praetor raised his broadsword, its tip hovering between his eyes.

"That's what I thought." A full spin brought a «Diagonal» slamming into his blade, the extra momentum knocking him back slightly. I surged forward once more, a feinted horizontal slash from my right converted into a crouching left slash and cutting at his shin. The rising diagonal cut was grabbed by his hand in an on so familiar manner.

I tugged back on my weapon once, letting myself be pulled forward into a leaping side kick that met nothing but air. His glowing sword was backhanded away by a bear claw, an advancing front kick dodged and responded in kind with a slash to his leg.

Try as hard as he might, Kal'erza couldn't find the edge against me. Oh, he managed to close the gap, certainly, but as quick and refined as his attacks were, his innate Dexterity wasn't fast enough to deal with my trained eyes.

The Elf suddenly added his other hand to a swing, managing to send me sliding back several feet. Looped fingers brought forth a piercing whistling, stopping everybody in our vicinity for a brief moment. The few Fallen Elves helping to tear down our forces made no attempt at subtlety in their escape, even slashing the corrupted beasts they had created to escape.

"Your friends aren't here to help you, Swordsman." The elf stared me down. "This is your last chance. Surrender or die."

"You know people have been trying really hard, but I just can't seem to learn the lesson."

"That can be fixed."

I ducked underneath another slash, countering with a four hit combination skill. Kal'erza grunted as I pulled Sillicatite Dao out, a defensive swipe sending me retreating.

 _Barely 14%._ The praetor wouldn't be dying any time soon, and with his companions likely on the way my continued survival would be in question. Content in letting me muse for whatever reason, I took advantage of his generosity and swapped weapons for Stygian Curse, its comforting shape held easily in my hand. A gun would have been infinitely more helpful, but I would take mercies where I could.

A single breath.

Though the dagger in my hand carried no reinforcements from the system, years of experience guided it just as swiftly. Martial Arts was thankfully not sealed away, but unarmed strikes could only carry me so far.

"Imagine if you only had more time. I can see now why he sings praises of you."

I kicked the inside of Kal'erza's leg, quickly knocking him back without letting my foot touch the ground. "And I guess He refers to Radinca?"

"But of course." The elf stood up slowly, a sad smile on his face. "If only you had accepted, Miss Asasaki." A trio of mounted Fallen leapt into our clearing at his words, each of them wielding weapons suited for mounted combat. "With you on our side, victory would have been assured."

The three Celeres charged at me, weapons drawn back. The wolf rider arrived first, scoring a line in my back with a feinted thrust into slash. Along came a spider rider, failing to land a hit but leaving me open enough for the jaguar rider to knock me to the ground.

I reached up with a fist and diverted the lupine's snout up, driving my dagger deep underneath its muzzle. Imaginary red coated my hands and chest, growing more with each stab. Pain-not-pain lanced through my side, the radiating heat above me suddenly disappearing.

"Your every action disappoints me, Human." Eferia hauled me to my feet, twirling her weapon warningly.

"The feeling's mutual," I growled. "Cover me." I thumbed open one of my pouches, quickly withdrawing its contents and popping off the cork.

"Duck!"

With no hesitation I crumpled to the ground, guzzling down the potion. Thirty seconds for 19%. I could lose so much more than that in that time. _But they can't hurt what they can't hit._ I sprung onto my feet, taking stock of our surroundings. With her halberd, Eferia could fend off two people at once, though in terms of attacking it was likely she would get forced to only one. If I broke off, I could take down whoever I wanted. "If I take on one," I started.

"Of course a human could only take on one."

"Bah. Don't expect tears if you die." I leapt towards the spider rider, soaring over a now flat target. One became two, and beast and elf charged at me in unison. Far more adaptive than previous spiders, the «Corrupted Sparassidae» took charge of every single attack, the spear of the «Fallen Elf Celeres» popping out between leg stabs, bites, and lobbed balls of what had to be poison. Blade and hand flew out in a frenzy, the pattern refined with every slowly defining cycle.

Stab, stab, spear, bite, spear with multiple thrusts into poison ball; leaping stab, poison ball with immediate attempt at charging bite. There was some variation between their basic strikes, but the highlights never changed. On the third charge I mounted the spider, managing to stab through five eyes before the beast forced me to evacuate lest I be slammed into a wall.

Sword and spear attempted to cut me in twain, the System forcing me into a tight corkscrew between the two weapons. Before either could react Stygian Curse had already slammed into Spear's vitals twice, a strike to his head driving him to the ground.

"How did-?!"

Four points. Two on either side of the body. It was a pattern I had practiced often, if for no other reason than a point of pride. The motions served me well, and when Kal'erza whirled around to strike at me I had already dropped and lit up his thighs.

Twin chitinous legs stabbed through my former place, the spider's fangs flaring in a tell tale sign of spit. I reached up and pulled the Praetor atop me, the ball of acid splashing across his back. Giving a parting stab to his shocked form, I handsprung away, leaping back another three paces for safety.

Kal'erza started laughing, still having the presence of mind to keep hold of his weapon despite the momentary burst of insanity. "How do I wish you were on our side, Asasaki. Our lives would be so much easier with your blade."

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

"No. I suppose not."

Were only I so lucky as to have achieved the status effects I aimed for. While I had received criticals for my efforts as well as my blade's bleed effect, their eyes were still perfectly functional. _Oh well. Try, try again._

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I slowly worked my way through a bag of rations. As battles with the Fallen were prone to, once it became clear that they would start losing the leaders teleported out, their underlings only doing so once they had secured the escape of their superiors. That didn't stop the slain from slowly dispersing into mist though. According to Kizmel, it was probably due to more experiments with the Spirit or Crystal Trees; something to do with how their magical core, already fragile from their initial changing, was no longer tied to the magic of Aincrad. It was an odd explanation, and I wasn't sure if it was the actual reason, but it was something.

"Snack?" I held out my bag towards Sora. In the corner of my eye, Asuna gave me a disproving and affronted look. No reason for that, really. Here in Eferia's tent we were sheltered from the remaining husks of slain Fallen yet to be removed from the grounds.

"No thanks," he answered. "I don't think I could really stomach anything after what happened."

The teen had a far off look in his eyes. Obviously I needed to do something eventually, but right now he needed to try and process what happened on his own. Interference from myself, beyond my current "nothing's different" attitude, might influence him in ways I couldn't anticipate. "Suit yourself. We're probably going to be hitting the road soon though, so it might be a good idea to get something in your belly." I popped a handful of the mix into my mouth, taking my time to chew through the sliced nuts. "Nice work on managing through the battle, by the way. I wasn't able to see it, but Alduin and Fautina tell me that you got really good at choosing your targets by the end."

Sora stilled for a moment. "Yeah, I was running out of ammo." He gave a forced smile, one that reminded me of a cracked mask. "If I didn't prioritise things I would have ran out long ago."

"Reasons why we carry extra stuff with us wherever we go. "Better to have and not need than need and not have,"" I quoted.

Eferia fell back into her seat, staring at the table separating her from everybody else. "Before we begin, I want not a word from you, Swordsman." The woman thrust a finger towards me. "Your snark is not something I wish to deal with right now."

I pantomimed zipping my lips, continuing to eat my meal.

When the battle had started there were some 60 Dark Elves both inside and around the base. Now that the dust had settled and a head count was made, 22 remained. The majority of the support staff (chefs, craftsmen, and such) had been slain when a contingent of Fallen snuck in from behind. Only a single metal worker and chef had survived the carnage, both of them lucky enough to have been near a weapon when the fighting broke out.

Of the fighters, Geriam and one other of Eferia's three commanding subordinates, as well as a scattering of their front line, scouts, and beastmasters had survived. The mood was abysmal; not a single elf bore a solitary tag. Some added the last remnant of their companions to their neck, some to their belts, others took to wrapping the chains underneath armor. I could only postulate as to their emotions. My own losses were able to be counted on my hands. Theirs required another body.

"With our numbers as low as they are, as well as the concerns that the Fallen will attempt to finish the job, we will be rejoining our siblings back at the main camp."

 _Prideful until the bitter end._ "I can respect that," I whispered to myself.

"Swordsman Kirito. I trust you and your companions can clear the way back?"

"Of course," the teen responded.

"We leave in ten." The Lieutenant rose from her seat and gestured us to leave, fingers spread. "Make sure everybody knows. Anybody that can't muster the will to move will be left behind." As everybody began piling out, Eferia requested that I remain behind.

The elf struggled for a few seconds, facial features twitching in aborted attempts at whatever she was trying to vocalize. Finally, once the urge to laugh because almost excruciating, "I wish to thank you. The rest of your companions were dealing with the bulk of their forces." For a moment I wondered if she had suddenly bit into a lemon. "Were it not for your efforts, we would have had more casualties. And it is likely that I would not be here." Eferia stood and gave a deep but stiff bow. "You have my gratitude."

 _Kind of like seeing her like this._ "Give it a few days. I'm sure you'll find a reason to hate me again." I held out my fist for Eferia to tap, explaining the gesture when she made a confused sound. "Think of it as an acknowledgement of kinship. Just make a fist and tap knuckles with me." I snorted at her still bewildered expression. "We'll keep the creepy crawlies off you guys. But in case we miss anything, lead your people well, oh fearless valkyrie."

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I jerked my blade to the side, the act removing the last sliver of health from the «Corrupted Coleoptera». With the entirety of our party having participated in the battle, I wasn't sure if the monsters were unique to us or if we had initiated a change of some kind across the entire floor. Either way, anyone that travelled with me was going to be in for a dreadful time.

Despite their relative closeness in age, both Kirito and Asuna held little sympathy for Sora's less than stellar stamina. Truthfully, it was entirely possible that I, Alduin, and Fautina just allowed ourselves to coddle him too much. "If you need to hang back a little, go ahead. We can pick up the slack," I told the teen. "Besides, I'm sure you're low on ammo, right?"

"Geriam let me stock up on some extras," Sora said. "The surviving scouts already grabbed as much as they could, and since nobody else can really use them he let me fill my inventory up." The nin pulled one of the throwing darts off his bandolier, flipping it in his hand a few times. "The damage isn't that great, but it comes with a better crit chance, and supposedly it flies faster than normal production darts as well."

I gave a soft smile, both happy and grateful for the distraction. "Elven gear's pretty nice like that. Only my boots and gloves are of elven make, but the others in Fūrinkazan say it's pretty great."

"Speaking of your armor, where did you even get that? It looks like it belongs on a water floor, not any of the landlocked places we can currently go to."

"Funny you mention that, where's the one floor that has some significant water?"

"The fourth floor?" He guessed.

"Bingo. There's a dungeon near the village all the way out on the western plains. It's filled to the brim with Sahuagin, more so than the Tower. The armor that I have is a stronger variant of those drops, and I've been lucky with my enhancement attempts on it." I rubbed my hand down the metal. From this direction, it was incredibly smooth, but if I dared move it the other way I would injure myself; single digits of damage, but damage all the same. "I think I might have to upgrade it after the Ninth floor, either with something player made or a drop."

Until I explained myself to the elves, I'd received numerous dirty looks from all the looting, but higher quality material was higher quality material. The results of what could be made from the Tainted Armor was a mystery, but I had no doubt it would be a significant boost, even against my thirteen times upgraded Abyssal gear. When the camp came into sight I stopped in my tracks.

 _In, two, three, four._

Corpses littered the clearing, some still with weapons lodged within them. Several Forest Elves wandered about, kneeling down every so often to pick up the remnants of the slain. Somewhere behind me, Sora began dry heaving.

Stoically, Kirito and his party began marching up to the entrance, talking to a few of the elves as they approached.

"You guys mind if I go on ahead? I've a feeling we should gather information."

"Go ahead," Alduin answered, moving to comfort the youngest of our group. "We'll catch up in a bit."

The inside was only slightly better. There were a few piles of Fallen Corpses tucked between buildings, and bits and pieces of coverings had been destroyed, leaving behind what was best described as an in-progress construction site. "Spare a few moments?" I asked a random elf.

"Try the captain," the elf said, tearing her gaze away from my earring. "We still have work to do."

"Yeah." Work such as moving resources around for repairs. Work such as coping with the fact that people you knew are suddenly gone forever. _You can break later. Things to do right now._ "You mind if I come in?" I spoke behind the slightly lifted tarp. "It's Asasaki, the swordsman from before."

A tired voice beckoned me in. "I hope things have gone well at the outpost?"

"Slightly worse than what's happened here. You okay if I sit?" I hefted over an elegant chair over to Eramen's desk and plopped down in it, my hand twitching for something to dull the edge. "We managed to fend them off as well as kill several of their leaders. More than half the forces suffered though. They should be arriving shortly. Our crew went on ahead to take care of any monsters."

"Were the survivors so weak that they couldn't handle it on their own?"

I shrugged. "Hey, if we were available to help, we were available to help. I certainly wouldn't turn down a volunteer vanguard." _Oh, there we go. Forgive me, Asuka._ I pulled out one of the Tolbanian's lower shelf bottles. Startlingly sharp, but if you let it sit for a moment the sweetness began to mellow out. "Got any spare glasses?"

"We can make do for now." The woman reached over and took a pull from the bottle, giving it a less than satisfied look. "Human made products; how inferior."

"That was a lower quality one," I said, chuckling. I sipped quietly at the drink, mulling both my thoughts and the taste around as Eramen continued writing what was likely a report.

"Where are your companions?" She asked, taking a moment to massage her hands.

"Nearby. I'm sure they've gotten caught up on one thing or another."

The quill paused at the lip of the ink bottle. "Tell me, Lady Swordsman. Why are you in here?"

I took another sip. The taste was still strong, but given another few pulls I'd be able to handle it properly. "Hiding from some stuff, mostly." I look up at the roof, trying to catch sight of the stitching.

"Hiding does-"

"Nothing good for problems, I know." I corked the bottle and placed it on the table. "But forgive me for wanting to handle a few problems at a time rather than all at once."

"You guys seem like you're getting along well." Kirito and his two companions spread out as they entered. The stress from the battle and its remnants was well hidden on their bodies, but there all the same.

"Yeah." I discreetly dismissed the wine bottle into my inventory. "Something like that."

"You already tell the Lieutenant what happened?" Asuna asked.

"For the most part." I flopped my hand a few times in apology. "I'm sure there's information I missed though. Eferia and her people might be able to clear up the gaps."

The teen nodded. "Was there anything you'd like for us to do in the meantime, Lieutenant Eramen?"

"Rest, help out around the camp, whatever you wish so long as you stay nearby." The leader of the eighth floor Forest Elves took a long breath. "We'll figure out our next move by nightfall."

I waited until the flap stopped moving before taking the bottle back out. "You mind much if I stay in here for the time being? I'd rather not deal with questioning eyes." I stopped short of another swig. "Well, more than one anyway."

"Do as you please," she said absently. "Just don't pester me with questions. I've much work to do. If you feel tired, use the cot."

I uttered my thanks and moved to the fixture in question, sitting down on it with bottle in hand.

The sound of a filled tip scratching across parchment filled the room. Every so often Eramen would pause to resupply the ink in her instrument, tapping it thrice on the inner rim of the ink bottle before resuming her writings.

When I'd gotten through three quarters of my drink, I finally opened up my quest log.

#Return the Memento Tags to their homes on the 7th Floor. Tags returned: 0/17.#

If I pulled up the information of each tag around my neck, I'd receive a few clues about each person's residence, as well as a few lines from what seemed to be journal entries. The sisters from the third floor spoke of how much fun the lower floors were. It seemed that they'd grown up in the upper half of the floors we currently had access to, and once they'd "tuned" their bodies to the Spirit Trees they were able to more readily travel around. A limited transportation, I was sure, but definitely more than they were able to before becoming Fallen.

"Eferia. It's good to see you again."

I looked up at the spoken words. Eferia and her direct subordinates had just arrived, snapping off a salute to their superior. With easy effort, I turned their conversation into background noise, barely twitching the few times they mentioned my name.

#Stats. Strength: 15. Vitality: 13. Dexterity: 53. Unspent Stat Points: 3.#

At some point during the assault I'd leveled up, among a surprisingly high amount of cor and resources. A trip to Micorriza would desperately be needed.

#Stats. Strength: 15. Vitality: 14. Dexterity: 55.#

Level 28. I took another sip from the bottle, idly swirling the last remnants of it around. If I managed to get two more levels I could acquire another skill. Originally I'd planned to get Hiding or something else, but with the way things were progressing picking up the Dagger skill line would be for the best.

"Hey, Swordsman." Eferia thrust a scroll towards me. "After recent events we've decided to agree to your request. But! You need to find the Forest Elves and convince them to meet with us at a neutral space first."

 _A distraction? Oh goodie._

 _ **Take it for what it is. Temporary shore leave. If we're lucky, we won't have to deal with another raid.**_

I finished off the last of my purloined drink, dropping the empty bottle into my waiting inventory. "I'll come back with the good news then."

* * *

 _Part of me's worried about putting out another ETA, but I think having that imposed deadline is for the best. To that end, hopefully a new chapter will be out on_ _ **July 19th**_ _._


End file.
